Friday/Saturday/Sunday morning preaching.

[basics]

Prodromos,

I don't know how Jesus managed it for it is hard to love someone that hates you. I guess that's the cross we have to bear?

[Morticia Iunia Bruti]

Morticia Iunia Bruti,

A born again Christian should never castigate a homosexual why? If we follow Jesus' teachings we are to love our neighbours as ourselves meaning that no matter what the sinner has done and homosexuality is a sin, that person can be forgiven and have their life turned around as is written in Scripture. So, when preachers sermonise about homosexuality and transgenderism being a sin, it is the sin he preaches against and not the practitioner.

You asked me a question which I answered just above yet you don't make any comment on it, why?

Because there is nothing more to say, Basics.

[basics]

Morticia lunia Bruti,

Why is it that I don't believe you?

[Morticia Iunia Bruti]

Honestly i don't care what you or Prodomos are thinking or not about me. You have already said everything that i need to make my mind about you. Every further conversation is futile.

[basics]

Morticia lunia Bruti,

So, although we care about you, you don't care about us? That's a bit cruel, don't you think?

[Morticia Iunia Bruti]

You don't care about me you are trying to enforce your religion and morale values on me and every one e!se. And i won't lead this talk any longer.

[basics]

Morticia lunia Bruti,

Believe it or not, but I am not trying to force anything on you other than telling you that there is a God Who does change darkness into light. Therefore if I am offending you by telling you these things it is because I do care.

[Prodromos]

Belgian-American(?) Lutheran describes her experience visiting a traditional Roman church in France

I went to a Catholic mass (tridentine rite) this morning.
I hadn't gone in 5 years.
I, uh...am infinitely happy and thankful to be a Lutheran.

Liturgy was beautiful.
Tad envious of course of the beautiful sanctuary.
They know how to organ and chant.
Ladies cover their hair (kinda would like doing that tbh).
The priest has a nice little group of acolytes.
Lots of kids in congregation and people from all ethnicities.

But oh boy.
Some chants, I thought "oh, must be the Gloria Patri/Nunc dimitis etc." Nope. A chant to the Virgin Mary. Again and again.
Exit hymn was in French. To the Virgin Mary.

"Crowned with stars, the moon is under your feet, by you we are saved" 👀

The homily, oh my.
All of you guys worrying about Christian nationalism in the U.S.? I heard some spicy stuff this morning.

"France has hope under all what menaces christendom, because she is favored by the Virgin Mary. We know this, because (lists all the miracles involving Mary that abound around here).

"We would have never won (medieval battle against the Turks) without her help, and we will win against today's Turks with her help"

Not a single word about Christ during the entire homily.
Unfortunately the kids were well behaved during it and so I got to listen to it all.

Such garbage.
All our hope is...in the Virgin Mary apparently.
And we know this because...some miracles.
And there is more hope for France than for other countries, 'cause she got more miracles.

I was open to go to hear the Word of God, confess sins and receive absolution, and watch the Supper being prepared even though I cant partake. There are zero Lutheran churches around and I wanted to take the kids *somewhere* on Sundays.

I suppose it will make me extra happy to get back to the U.S. and our meek, lovely pastor who preaches Christ crucified week after week after week.
It also clarifies why Luther was so upset and wary of certain things.

[basics]

If Mary was Divine why did she need the overcoming of the Holy Spirit to join the Lord Jesus with one of her eggs? She knew and acknowledged that she was a sinner in need of salvation yet when mothering the rest of her offspring not once is it mentioned that she taught them that their elder Brother was God the Son in the flesh. Were they saved at Pentecost? That we don't know yet for sure we do know that both James and Jude were later converts even after the church was established. Nothing is said of the other siblings. Were she Divine wouldn't that have caused a problem in conceiving with Joseph himself a sinner? Jesus being the only begotten Son of God, that is begotten in the flesh to be a man, as God even in the flesh never had sexual relations yet we are expected to believe that His mother, Mary, was/is so Divine that He can be influenced by her, could have sex and did with Joseph? Does that make Joseph also Divine?

[Prodromos]

Excerpts from The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Puritan preacher Jeremiah Burroughs (1599–1646):

“There is an ark that you may come into, and no men in the world may live such comfortable, cheerful and contented lives as the saints of God.”

“Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God’s wise and fatherly disposal in every condition.”

“In a clock, stop but one wheel and you stop every wheel, because they are dependent upon one other. So when God has ordered a thing for the present to be thus and thus, how do you know how many things depend upon this thing? God may have some work to do twenty years hence that depends on this passage of providence that falls out this day or this week.”

“Now this is a mystery to a carnal heart. They can see no such thing; perhaps they think God loves them when he prospers them and makes them rich, but they think God loves them not when he afflicts them. That is a mystery, but grace instructs men in that mystery, grace enables men to see love in the very frown of God's face, and so come to receive contentment.”

“Contentment is not opposed to a due sense of affliction. God gives his people leave to be sensible of what they suffer. Christ does not say, 'Do not count as a cross what is a cross'; he says, 'Take up your cross daily.'”

“Indeed, our afflictions may be heavy, and we cry out, Oh, we cannot bear them, we cannot bear such an affliction. Though you cannot tell how to bear it with your own strength, yet how can you tell what you will do with the strength of Jesus Christ? You say you cannot bear it? So you think that Christ could not bear it? But if Christ could bear it why may you not come to bear it? You will say, Can I have the strength of Christ? Yes, it is made over to you by faith: the Scripture says that the Lord is our strength, God himself is our strength, and Christ is our strength. Christ's strength is yours, made over to you, so that you may be able to bear whatever lies upon you.”

“If I have once overcome my heart, and am contented through the grace of God in my heart, then this makes me content not only in one particular but in general, whatever befalls me.”

[basics]

Prodromos,

Another wee jewel to ponder over. Had to write this as it appears that no-one else wants to debate anymore, at least with me. So, God bless you and keep up the good work.

[Prodromos]

The first time I met R. C. Sproul I thought he was a jerk. This was around 15 years ago. A friend and I were in Orlando for a conference and we decided to visit Sproul’s church on Sunday.

After service, Dr. Sproul was standing in the nave shaking hands with people as they left. I dug an old Walmart disposable camera from my pocket and asked him if he would allow us to take a photo with him.

He looked at me like I had asked to borrow his Visa card, or worse, to borrow his gf clubs. Then, finally, he shook his head and said, “well, I guess. Why not.”

We took the photo, chatted a few minutes, then left. My friend said, “He’s may have been a bit of a jerk about it, but I don’t respect him any less. I’m sure he’s just tired of it.”

The next morning, we decided to go over to the Ligonier conference to hear Sproul speak. Before it began, a man stepped out on the platform and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I am going to ask that you refrain from using flash photographs during the conference. Dr. Sproul has a medical condition in which the flashes may easily induce seizures. Thank you for understanding.”

I looked at my buddy and said “Wow! He wasn’t being a jerk at all! He looked at us and was literally weighing the cost to his own health versus disappointing two young men who admired him and chose to risk his own well-being rather than deny us a memory.”

Not only did our admiration for him increase exponentially, so did our reticence to judge people without having all the facts in hand.

Chalk that up to another lesson learned from R.C.

Found this story on Twitter and thought you guys might like it

[basics]

If ever a man knew his Bible it was RC Sproul. He is greatly missed for now by those still here but one day when that great day comes those that never met him yet followed his sermons will see him again.

[Pontifex Maximus]

Was he a Catholic priest?

[Pontifex Maximus]

Ah yes, the ignorant protestant understanding of the Marian devotion.

If Mary was Divine

False.

She knew and acknowledged that she was a sinner in need of salvation

False.

The Immaculate Mother Mary was never divine, nor was she ever a sinner.

[basics]

Was he a Catholic priest?

Pontifex Maximus,

Robert Charles Sproul was an American Reformed theologian and ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church in America. He was the founder and chairman of Ligonier Ministries and could be heard daily on the Renewing Your Mind radio broadcast in the United States and internationally. Wikipedia
Born: 13 February 1939, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: 14 December 2017, Altamonte Springs, Florida, United States.

Mary's own words, " And Mary said, “ My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, " Why would she say that if she weren't a sinner like the rest of us? So, if she is not Divine why do Roman Catholics pray to her as the Queen of Heaven and earth according to your rosary?

[Sir Adrian]

False.

The Immaculate Mother Mary was never divine, nor was she ever a sinner.

Nobody is without sin. Only Jesus was sinless. That being said, aside for Jesus, Mary is the best possible example to follow by any Christian woman.

[basics]

Nobody is without sin. Only Jesus was sinless. That being said, aside for Jesus, Mary is the best possible example to follow by any Christian woman.

Sir Adrian,

For once we agree. Why is it though that Roman Catholics can't seem to separate fact from fiction?

[mishkin]

For once we agree. Why is it though that Roman Catholics can't seem to separate fact from fiction?

yes, they believe in some ridiculous children's stories, we however...

[basics]

yes, they believe in some ridiculous children's stories, we however...

mishkin,

We however believe that there is no other Person in Whom salvation may be attained as has been written for us, not what we invent.