The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Matthew 18:15-17,
"If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector."
Personally, I don't hold the Roman Catholic church in high regard. I find it an astonishingly paganized perversion of Christianity. However, I do recognize that many people find their connection to Jesus Christ through it and many have very strong family ties that join them to it. On the positive side, the Roman Catholic church has encouraged their members to read their Bibles over the past few decades (a decided turn from the days when they kept "everything" under wraps, hiding the truths of God behind Latin and an authoritative demand that God's "truth" be accepted as that which flowed from ranks of the Pope, the College of Cardinals on down through their "priesthood.")
I certainly have little desire to offend people, but there are just some things that beg to be pointed out. An example might be the homosexuality and pedophilia of its priesthood and the manner in which it has handled these issues leaves little room for commending itself to the things of God. There are so many other problems with this organization that books could be written (and have been written) about this group.
Today, the Roman Catholic church has taken a decidedly turn to the political left with the current Pope Francis and his Latin American "liberation theology". It won't be the criticisms I and others might observe of the Roman Catholic church that leave its members stunned and perplexed, but by the change in direction this pope is taking it.
Whether Pope Francis knows Jesus Christ on a personal basis or not is something only he knows himself for sure, but the positions he takes and the things he says strains the notion of it.
This past week, as an example, he changed the church's teaching on capital punishment, rejecting the death penalty and committing himself and the church to work on abolishing the death penalty worldwide. This places him in opposition to none other than God himself. When following the flood we associate with Noah, God said to Noah and his sons, "Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind." Genesis 9:6.
When we commit the sin of substituting our notions for God's commands, we just may be in need of an intervention. This is what Jesus taught in Matthew 18:15-17. What do you think?
A blog with my ruminations over the years can be found here: http://worshipfortoday.blogspot.com/
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
"If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector."
Personally, I don't hold the Roman Catholic church in high regard. I find it an astonishingly paganized perversion of Christianity. However, I do recognize that many people find their connection to Jesus Christ through it and many have very strong family ties that join them to it. On the positive side, the Roman Catholic church has encouraged their members to read their Bibles over the past few decades (a decided turn from the days when they kept "everything" under wraps, hiding the truths of God behind Latin and an authoritative demand that God's "truth" be accepted as that which flowed from ranks of the Pope, the College of Cardinals on down through their "priesthood.")
I certainly have little desire to offend people, but there are just some things that beg to be pointed out. An example might be the homosexuality and pedophilia of its priesthood and the manner in which it has handled these issues leaves little room for commending itself to the things of God. There are so many other problems with this organization that books could be written (and have been written) about this group.
Today, the Roman Catholic church has taken a decidedly turn to the political left with the current Pope Francis and his Latin American "liberation theology". It won't be the criticisms I and others might observe of the Roman Catholic church that leave its members stunned and perplexed, but by the change in direction this pope is taking it.
Whether Pope Francis knows Jesus Christ on a personal basis or not is something only he knows himself for sure, but the positions he takes and the things he says strains the notion of it.
This past week, as an example, he changed the church's teaching on capital punishment, rejecting the death penalty and committing himself and the church to work on abolishing the death penalty worldwide. This places him in opposition to none other than God himself. When following the flood we associate with Noah, God said to Noah and his sons, "Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind." Genesis 9:6.
When we commit the sin of substituting our notions for God's commands, we just may be in need of an intervention. This is what Jesus taught in Matthew 18:15-17. What do you think?
A blog with my ruminations over the years can be found here: http://worshipfortoday.b
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
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