God's Truth
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Lazy A,
How do you think Jesus raised himself if his Spirit was dead with his bones?
How do you think Jesus raised himself if his Spirit was dead with his bones?
Lazy A,
How do you think Jesus raised himself if his Spirit was dead with his bones?
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Were I a seminary professor, I would make Teresa a mandatory subject for aspiring missionaries; but not as a role model; rather, as an example of going about a right thing in a wrong way: primarily to emphasize that the one thing you do not want to do is go out on the mission field before being very certain that Christ has not only called you, but will also partnership you.
There was a point in Paul's missionary journeys when he wanted to go to a region called Bithynia; but God stopped him (Acts 16:7). Had Paul pressed on independently, without God's approval, he would have been grossly insubordinate in spite of the fact that it is Christ's wishes that his message be spread abroad throughout the whole world in accordance with Matt 28:18-20.
There was nothing intrinsically wrong with Teresa's ambition to be a missionary. Her wrong was in going it alone after once she realized that Christ was not in it with her. Bottom line is: What Teresa did in India, she did not do in faith; rather, she did it independently by sheer force of will.
If you've done any background on her, then I don't have to tell you that Teresa was a little bulldog. Once she set her mind to a task, Teresa was a D-9 Caterpillar tractor and not easily deterred once she put things in gear.
Teresa's personality is neither rare nor unusual. All the really great achievers are just like her; and known for persisting in the face of adversity, ill health, and overwhelming personal problems. Nobody ever got rich by a half-hearted effort, nobody ever got to the moon by a half-hearted effort, and nobody ever climbed Mt. Everest by a half-hearted effort. The old saying; No Pain-No Gain, is still true whether you're struggling with your weight, your career, your finances, the 100 meter backstroke, investing, or organizing a neighborhood watch.
An outstanding example of the "Mother Teresa" attitude is found in US Navy SEALS. They are a breed of men who absolutely refuse to be beaten . . at anything. I once heard an ex-SEAL say, that if a group of SEALs were playing hop-scotch, it would soon turn violent because they don't like to lose.
At first, Teresa was confident that Christ wanted her in India; but it wasn't long before she began to realize that he was not in it with her. However, she stuck it out anyway because Teresa was tough, and she was determined to fulfill her dream. But it is not God's wishes that Christ's followers serve him in the strength of a Navy SEAL; rather, in the weakness, and the meekness, of a slave's mentality.
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Its a divine secret
One has to admit, Teresa's life is peculiar in that regard. It would make a good study project for theology students, to probe their own insights respecting service to others, life-callings and more essentially how to be 'led by the Spirit'. I don't know if her life was all in vain, since she continued SERVING others her whole life, until she was physically unable to do so. Will she not be rewarded for her good works and service, by virtue of the law of karma itself? What a persons sows, that also shall they reap. If she loved and served selflessly, then the reward or merit in that is inherent in itself. As far as if she was actually called to India to open a ministry there, that's between her and 'God', and we would have to see the FRUIT of that ministry and what its accomplishing today, to judge it by any standard. A tree is known by its fruit. Let God be the judge.
Those that boast about being ready to follow most likely will end up like Peter, seeing those judging are doing it from a emotionally based perception.
She could have pretended but choose to be honest about her weakness and doubts, big deal! (1Cor 13:1-13) who hasn't had some of those same type of thoughts.
Paul says he wants us to boast in each other.
For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus. See 2 Corinthians 1:13,14.
Paul shows us we can boast in ourselves.
2 Corinthians 1:12 Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God's grace.
2 Corinthians 7:14 I had boasted to him about you, and you have not embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true as well.
1 Thessalonians 2:10
You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.
Paul boasts in himself.
2 Corinthians 12:6
Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth.
Acts 23:1
Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, "My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day."
1 Corinthians 9:15 But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me, for I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this boast.
John 5:19, John 5:30, Romans 4:1-2.
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Teresa's early confidence was based entirely upon fantasy. Let me explain.
September of 1946, Teresa, then 36 years old, was sent to her annual retreat and a needed rest, to the Loreto convent in Darjeeling, a town nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas, some 400 miles north of Calcutta (a.k.a. Kolkata).
On the 10th, she's alleged to have experienced a "mystical encounter" with Christ. This encounter would be only the first of several that would occur that year. But lest you make the mistake of assuming that Teresa actually eye-witnessed an apparition, or that she actually heard sounds with her own ears; let me explain something that's crucial to keeping Teresa's experience in the proper perspective.
Her so-called encounters are what's known as locutions (supernatural words) viz: manifestations of God's thoughts; which may come through words heard externally (exterior or auricular locutions) or in the imagination (interior imaginative locutions) or immediately without any words (interior intellectual locutions) viz: intuition. Teresa's locutions were of the interior imaginative variety; viz: she didn't actually hear any voices nor did she see anybody; no, it all took place in her imagination.
Teresa claims that the Jesus in one of her locutions promised her: "Do not fear-- I shall be with you always."
Was "Jesus" with her always? Not even! In no time at all, her Jesus vanished and Teresa went on to endure nearly five decades feeling abandoned by Christ; and yearning for even the slightest glimmer of his presence.
"I am told God loves me; and yet the reality of darkness & coldness & emptiness is so great that nothing touches my soul."
"When I try to raise my thoughts to Heaven, there is such convicting emptiness that those very thoughts return like sharp knives and hurt my very soul. How painful is this unknown pain-- I have no faith."
"Now Father-- since 49 or 50 this terrible sense of loss-- this untold darkness-- this loneliness, this continual longing for God-- which gives me pain deep down in my heart-- Darkness is such that I really do not see neither with my mind nor with my reason-- the place of God in my soul is blank-- There is no God in me-- when the pain of longing is so great-- I just long & long for God-- and then it is that I feel-- He does not want me-- He is not there-- God does not want me-- Sometimes-- I just hear my own heart cry out-- "My God" and nothing else comes-- the torture and pain I can't explain"
"The damned of Hell suffer eternal punishment because they experiment with the loss of God. In my own soul, I feel the terrible pain of this loss. I feel that God does not want me, that God is not God; and that He does not really exist."
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Teresa's darkness, her interior suffering, her lack of sensible consolation, her spiritual dryness, an apparent absence of God from her life, and, at the same time, a painful longing for His companionship, was virtually perpetual, lasting five decades, from 1947 clear up to the very hour of her death in 1997.
At the urging of Henry D'Souza, the Archbishop of Calcutta (a.k.a. Kolkata), Teresa finally agreed to an exorcism in the final weeks of her life-- performed by Father Rosario Stroscio --if perchance demons were clouding her mind.
Demons clouding Teresa of Calcutta's mind!? That is certainly not a very appealing testimonial to her religion's value as a source of light and consolation of God's sensible presence.
Father Stroscio, 79, said Mother Teresa appeared dazed and behaving strangely at the time of the exorcism. I also know from another source that Teresa was nervous about God in her last moments. Ironically, though she was never really confident a God exists, she feared that if one did exist, it wouldn't like her, and might be quite disposed to condemn her. Compare Teresa's end-of-life experience with a solid missionary: the apostle Paul.
● 2Tim 4:6-8 . . I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
Paul's mind certainly wasn't clouded, nor was he dazed and behaving strangely, nor was he in doubt about the existence of God, nor was he nervous that if a God did exist, it might not like him; and possibly quite disposed to condemn him. No, none of that because that is just simply not the way New Testament Christianity works.
● Php 4:6-9 . .Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which is beyond the intellect, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy --think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-- put it into practice; and the God of peace will be with you.
Why did Teresa suffer with darkness, interior suffering, lack of sensible consolation, spiritual dryness, an apparent absence of God from her life, fear of the unknown, and, at the same time, a painful longing for God? Why wasn't the peace of God, and the God of peace, with the most pious nun the twentieth century ever produced? Duh. Because she failed to put into practice whatever it was that the Christians at Philippi learned, received, and heard from Paul. Anybody who knows the Bible can see that.
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Were I a seminary professor, I would make Teresa a mandatory subject for aspiring missionaries; but not as a role model; rather, as an example of going about a right thing in a wrong way: primarily to emphasize that the one thing you do not want to do is go out on the mission field before being very certain that Christ has not only called you, but will also partnership with you.
There was a point in Paul's missionary journeys when he wanted to go to a region called Bithynia; but God stopped him (Acts 16:7). Had Paul pressed on independently, without God's approval, he would have been grossly insubordinate in spite of the fact that it is Christ's wishes that his message be spread abroad throughout the whole world in accordance with Matt 28:18-20.
There was nothing intrinsically wrong with Teresa's ambition to be a missionary. Her wrong was in going it alone after once she realized that Christ was not in it with her. Bottom line is: What Teresa did in India, she did not do in faith; rather, she did it independently by sheer force of will.
If you've done any background on her, then I don't have to tell you that Teresa was a little bulldog. Once she set her mind to a task, Teresa was a D-9 Caterpillar tractor and not easily deterred once she put things in gear.
Teresa's personality is neither rare nor unusual. All the really great achievers are just like her; and known for persisting in the face of adversity, ill health, and overwhelming personal problems. Nobody ever got rich by a half-hearted effort, nobody ever got to the moon by a half-hearted effort, and nobody ever climbed Mt. Everest by a half-hearted effort. The old saying; No Pain-No Gain, is still true whether you're struggling with your weight, your career, your finances, the 100 meter backstroke, investing, or organizing a neighborhood watch.
An outstanding example of the "Mother Teresa" attitude is found in US Navy SEALS. They are a breed of men who absolutely refuse to be beaten . . at anything. I once heard an ex-SEAL say, that if a group of SEALs were playing hop-scotch, it would soon turn violent because they don't like to lose.
At first, Teresa was confident that Christ wanted her in India; but it wasn't long before she began to realize that he was not in it with her. However, she stuck it out anyway because Teresa was tough, and she was determined to fulfill her dream. But it is not God's wishes that Christ's followers serve him in the strength of a Navy SEAL; rather, in the weakness, and the meekness, of a slave's mentality.
All of Gods children of even the faintest flicker of faith, inside or outside of any religion, will awake on the next world that Jesus went to prepare for us.
No scripture supports that view.
The spirit stays with the bones.
LA