Tag: truth

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

DENIAL DEBUNKED BY THE TRUTH, FACTS, AND THEIR OWN WORDS

Jesus Christ, God Creator in the flesh, declared, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”(John 8:32,36). John said: “No lie is of the truth” (1 John 2: 21).

Uriah Smith wrote: “The false claims of some Catholics that their church has never killed dissenters, have been flatly denied by one of their own standard writers, Cardinal Belarmine, who was born in Tuscany in 1542, and who, after his death in 1621, came being near being placed in the calendar of saints on account of his great services in behalf of the church. This man, on one occasion, under the spur of controversy, betrayed himself to an ADMISSION of the REAL FACTS of the case.

“Martin Luther having said that the church (meaning the true church) NEVER BURNED HERETICS, Bellarmine understanding it of the Roman Catholic Church, made answer:

‘This argument proves not the sentiment, but the ignorance or impudence of Luther; for as ALMOST AN INFINITE NUMBER were either burned or put to death, Luther either did not know it, and was therefore ignorant; or if he knew it, he is convicted of impudence and FALSEHOOD —-for that heretics were often burned BY THE CHURCH, may be PROVED by adducing a few from MANY examples.’- John Dowling, ‘The History of Romanism,’ p. 547. (D&R 133,134.

“John Lothrop Motley, speaking of the papal persecution in the Netherlands [one of the three countries of the Lowlands; Belgium and Luxembourg are the others], says:

‘Upon Feb. 16, 1568, a sentence of the Holy Office (The Inquisition) condemned ALL THE INHABITANTS in the Netherlands TO DEATH AS HERETICS……A proclamation of the king ten days later, confirmed this decree of the Inquisition, and ordered it be carried into instant execution…..This is probably THE MOST CONCISE DEATH WARRANT that was ever framed. Three millions of people, men, women, and CHILDREN, were sentenced to the SCAFFOLD IN THREE LINES.’- ‘The Rise of the Dutch Republic,(2-vol. ed.) Vol. I, p. 626. New York.

“Many Roman Catholic authors today tried to prove that their church does not sanction persecution, but FACTS of history are too plain to be denied. Eternity alone will reveal what God’s dear children suffered during the Dark Ages. Accordingly as the Papacy attained to power, the common people became more oppressed until ‘THE NOON OF PAPACY WAS THE MIDNIGHT OF THE WORLD.’ – ‘History of Protestantism,’ J. A. Wylie, L. L. D., Vol. I, p. 16. London.”- C. Edwardson, ‘Facts of Faith,’ p. 67. Southern Publishing Asso. TN. 1943.

Prophecy reveals what is coming; history is prophecy fulfilled. Bless all, NMF.

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

WHEN HE COMES WILL HE FIND TRUTH ON THE EARTH?

in His parable of the “unjust judge who feared not God nor regarded man” in his interaction with a persistent widow, He ends it with a question: “Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?’ Luke 18:1-8, KJV.

Jesus, “the way, the truth and life.” through the Holy Spirit now on earth, is the “Faithful and TRUE Witness.” Rev. 1:5; 3:14; 19:11. “The Holy Spirit comes to the world as Christ’s Representative (Vicegerent) It [He] not only speaks the TRUTH, but it [He] is the truth—-the Faithful and True Witness. It [He] is the great Searcher of hearts and is acquainted with the CHARACTERS of all.” (E.G. White, ‘Counsels to Teachers and Parents,’ p. 68).

Seriously diligent students of Bible prophecy know with a certainty that we are now living in the very last days of earth’s history, as mankind has known it from the testimony and witness of both the Bible and extant extra-biblical records, historians and even scientists of various disciplines whose views harmonize with the Biblical account of creation.

These last days are specially characterized and symbolized by prophecy as the “great Babylonian confusion” of doctrinal mash-up of truth and error entering its most confusing, deceptive and thus. deadliest stages (see Rev. 14 and 18).

The gospel-prophet described it as: “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter.” Isa. 5:20, KJV.

Lying in the last days is of the most sophisticated, professional-grade (of the corrupted quality) and in cascading torrents in quantity and influence, is fast taking hold of the people and the nations.

As one put it so accurately, “The first casualty in a war is the truth.” And the nations, kingdoms and even still-existing tribes or those of tribal-mentality in the digital age are at war or deeply-rooted bitter conflict, protracted guerilla-type, sudden surgical strikes with superior weapons, tactics and stratagem, whether low-grade conflict, internecine, or officially declared.

In-your-face lying-without-batting-an-eyelash in the highest and most influential stages and broadest of newly-found spaces are quickly draining the last remaining precious gallons, if not drops from the once-abundant public wells of primitively-pristine truth which is only “the truth as it is in Jesus.” (Eph. 4:27, see verses 20-32).

Sadly indeed, they have given “that which is holy to the dogs and cast the pearls before swine that they trample them under their feet [sharp hooves] and turn again and rend [tear] you.” Matt. 7:6, KJV.

Indeed , the “two witnesses of truth” have been spiritually assaulted again and their almost-dead bodies are “lying on the street of fhe antitypical spiritual “great city.” (See Revelation 11).

The question “When He (Jesus) comes, will He find FAITH?”’now is, “Will He find TRUTH in the earth?” The answer of He who is “the way, the TRUTH, and the life” is: No and Yes.

No, never among those comprising “Babylon the great that is fallen twice” and who is specifically described as “Mystery Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth….the Woman drunken with the blood of martyrs and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.” Rev. 17 (see verses 1-8).

And Yes, happily yes but only to be found with “the saints who patiently keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (Rev. 14:12), who conscientiously refused to “receive the mark of the beast in their foreheads or in their right hand” and “worshipped his image,” (Rev. 13: 15; . 19:20) and have “gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over his mark” (Rev. 15:2).

Will you and me be part of the No or Yes? Your convictions, and choices of courage now, based on the divinely-endowed will of man with its fundamental inalienable rights, regardless of any changes, will determine your eternal destiny, so near at hand! Make that your perpetual “new year’s resolution;” better yet, daily resolution and plan for the day, one day at a time as it comes. Bless you and your families, NMF