SHARE
YOUR FAITH WITH OTHERS! FROM ERASMUS OF AMERICA - APRIL 19, 2014
"Faith
comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." - Romans 10:17
In Revelation 3:15-16, Jesus says to the church of the Laodiceans (symbolizes
the Church of the "Deep Sleep" where they say the Lord will take care
of all so we don't have to do anything good or worthwhile for the cause of good
in this life) : "I (Jesus) know thy works (what you do in life), that thou
art neither cold nor hot. So because thou art lukewarm (indifferent to
moral values or issues between good and evil), and neither cold nor hot,
(Aramaic phrase of Middle East of 2,000 years ago meaning so bored by good or
evil as to sleep between fights between these two sides and support neither
side), I (Jesus) will spew (vomit) thee out of my mouth." To these
Christians who say they are rich and prosperous in life so nothing else matters
in life, Jesus says to them that they are not rich spiritually, but before
Jesus are spiritually "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and
naked." And in Verse 19, Jesus says to these Christians: "As many as
I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent." He is
telling them in prior verse 18 to bring forth good works as Christians tried in
the fires as worthy deeds and done in the right spirit which becomes gold
spiritually in the eyes of Jesus so Jesus can reward them for what they have
done in this life. This is how the lukewarm Christians are supposed to repent
of their prior lack of love for Jesus and for the teachings to do good on earth
preached by His Christianity in the New Testament.
The highest reward Jesus promises in the New Testament is mentioned in
Revelation 2:26 to him who overcometh (no longer lets the false culture of the
world rule him instead of the good culture of God taught in the New Testament).
"And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works until the end, to him will I
give power (authority) over the nations:" Jesus taught that His most
faithful servants on earth would later be made the rulers over the earth by
Jesus when Jesus returns to rule over the earth with them as loyal subordinate
rulers under Jesus. It is a relationship like Joseph had as the right hand to
Pharaoh of Egypt and ruled in the name of Pharaoh over the people of Egypt as
recorded in the Old Testament. He who keepeth the works of Jesus until the end
which Jesus promises the highest rewards to as a Christian is His Apostolic
Christianity He founded on earth. This does not apply to the later
modifications of Christianity taught and attempted by clever, corrupt teachers
who do not like what Jesus taught in the New Testament and so try to modify or
cancel His New Covenant with their own new version of Christianity invented by
them and try to win you over to follow them by clever but false words twisting
and denying the truths of true Christianity as taught by first true Historic
Apostolic Christianity. Also well recorded as the official early
writings of Apostolic Christianity are the writing and release of the New
Testament written by the Apostles of Jesus Christ recording the words and many
explanations of the teachings of Jesus Christ. The first disciples of the
Apostles further explained the meaning of New Testament teachings as taught
them by the Apostles of Jesus Christ. That is why the New Testament also
instructs to respect the traditions (oral teachings of the Apostles)
left in the first official churches founded by the Apostles of Jesus
Christ. A little below is an article on Apostolic Tradition being part of
official Christianity according to the New Testament. This is borrowed from the
following link of
http://www.catholic.com/tracts/apostolic-tradition .
It was and is the basic official position of early Apostolic Christianity as
confirmed by massive study of the earliest Christian writings of the Church
Fathers. I play no sides and only report the truth as I find it. Once pass the
Apostles like Peter who also became bishop of Antioch and later Rome according
to early Christian history, the bishops were elected bishops (overseers) of the
mother city churches by the members and clergy of the local churches within
that city mother church, examined by two or three visiting bishops to see if
they upheld the original orthodox Apostolic Christianity, and then ordained by
the visiting bishops as the bishop of that city mother church once asking the
people and clergy if this was their choice for their local bishop (overseer).
No bishops of Christianity today are elected by this the original method of the
Apostolic Christian Constitution as far as I know. The appointment of a local
candidate to be bishop by Apostles or councils of bishops elsewhere was
justified in times of crisis, but once circumstances allowed, the bishops
were locally elected by the local churches in the manner shown above.
I don't play sides, but just report on what I found in the official writings of
first Apostolic Christianity and let the chips fall where they may either
Catholic side, Protestant side, or somewhere in the middle and maybe not making
everyone happy in the process. I am here to serve Jesus faithfully
and present the truth as I find it. Also, early Christianity taught
that in later ages there would arise in Christianity also what St. Augustine,
etc. called "interpreting prophets." They would not arise with new
prophecies, but show clarity and understanding in explaining prophecy, etc.
that such as the New Testament had and earlier Christianity did not always
fully understand back then all of the meanings of prophecies held by first
Christianity.
As recorded in the New Testament, when a man came unknown by the first
disciples of Christ and healed people in the name of Jesus Christ, the
disciples of Jesus were upset and said that they did not know him and
asked Jesus to forbid him to do this. Jesus told them to allow this unknown man
to heal in the Name of Jesus "for he that is not against us is for
us!" As I report some stunning Miracles of God also in Protestant
churches, I remind the upset that Jesus said do not forbid he who successfully
heals people in the Name of Jesus Christ. Also, the Apostle Paul in Romans 14
and 15 taught to allow some differences of private beliefs in Christianity so
long as they did not deny the basic foundational teachings of Christianity. Also,
the Apostle Paul taught a limited way to divorce and remarry in Christianity
validly under Christianity. This was called the "Pauline
Privilege" in earlier Christianity. St. Jerome who translated the Vulgate
translation of the Bible around 400 A.D. wrote on the Pauline Privilege and
gave two extreme example how a man who had married more than once and then
remarried but only remarried "in the Lord" could validly do this
in Christianity and take Holy Communion, etc. A man who had twice married
before becoming a Christian and then married a third time once becoming a
Christian could be allowed to be made an ordained Catholic bishop
in Spain. But it was expected that he should remain married to his
Christian wife now and set a moral example for others now that he would be a
bishop of Christianity. Another man who had divorced several times apparently
as a pagan had later become a Christian and could validly marry again,
"But only in the Lord" meaning only marry a Christian wife. I
bothered to read the early Christian writings which many scholars apparently
have not and I know what early Christianity taught as the official positions of
Christianity back then. By the way, if you did not catch it, back around
400 A.D., you could be married and a bishop of Christianity at the same
time. The Apostle Peter was married and ancient Christian legend is he
encouraged his wife to die as a brave Christian martyr for Christ in Rome. He
was then himself executed in Rome and hung upside down on a cross as
he requested as he considered himself unworthy to die like Christ.
In the early writings of official Christianity is the basis to reunify
Christianity and upon valid terms of first Apostolic Christianity.
In
early Christianity the Theory of Evolution was first taught by Epicurus a few
hundred years before Christ and taught in the Roman Empire. The
early Christians knew how to argue for their faith. They used arguments
such as "Which came first? The tree or the seed? The chicken or the
egg?" This showed that God had to start life on earth and not random
chance by atoms as called evolution. People don't know it but Charles Darwin
merely revived an ancient Greek theory trying to explain away the
creation of life, this earth, etc. by random chance instead of created by God
as stated in the Bible. Early Christianity condemned the Theory of
Evolution as heresy as trying to claim the Book of Genesis was myth and not
true that God started this earth, life, etc. By the way, the Book of
Genesis talked of being many giants on the earth in the first days of Adam
and Eve on earth. For "politically correct" reasons, many scientists
have tried to hide this scientific evidence from the American people, but
many skeletons of giants who were likely among the first inhabitants of North
America have been found in a number of locations across America. As for the
World Flood of Noah, around one-seventh of the soil of the earth is muck which
is washed away soil. It is heavily located such as in Siberia. This
massive amount of muck was created by the World Flood talked about in Genesis.
Also, legends of others of other ancient cultures also talked about this great
World Flood and the strange man with his family and many animals surviving it
by going in a boat carrying them until the flood ended on earth. Also, fossils
of sea animals have been found on he tops of some of the tallest mountains in
the world.
The Bible is full of Bible Code which correctly predicted maybe all the major
events of history for several thousand years after the Old Testament was
written. Three mathematicians of Israel first found it and to their shock, a
leading mathematical magazine of checked them out and found the Old Testament
was loaded with accurate prophecies of future events and all written in a
mathematical code using equidistant spacing of letters to create the
prophecies. No other book in the world tested had these secret codes in it
telling the future of mankind on earth. As Grant Jeffrey commented on this, God
put these Bible Codes in the Old Testament to show that He God supernaturally
wrote the Old Testament by inspiration of the writers who were prophets of God
and the Bible was not written by private man but by God. As Grant Jeffrey
labeled this, this is "The Handwriting Of God" shown in the Bible. I
also checked out the New Testament and also found a hidden Bible Code in it ,
but that is not for public release at this time! By the way, Jesus Christ and
the Twelve Apostles were all listed in the Old Testament Bible Code Prophecies
and Jesus called "The Gift" among other things! Mary, the Mother of
Jesus, and other New Testament figures besides the Apostles were also listed,
locations where Jesus went, etc.
The National Geographic is a fine magazine and well published in material,
photos, etc. But one of their issues publicized the woman stated to have been
found by science who lived 4 million years ago. That is a bit hard to believe
once you use science. Take the population figures for the human race, go
backwards in math to where the population figures indicated man started on this
earth, and man according to statistical data like this has only been on this
earth for maybe up to ten to fifteen thousand years maybe the longest time and
shorter time if a World Flood occurred for real.
Also, two British scientists discovered the enzymes which block all cells from
being able to evolve into new life forms. That means the theory of evolution is
scientifically impossible and never happened. So this British scientific
discovery had to be silenced or else Genesis has scientific credibility and the
Theory of Evolution has no scientific credibility except as a giant and
deliberate hoax of the enemies of Christianity as the scientific evidence does
not back up their side but amazingly the Genesis account of how man started on
earth pretty well seems to fit the reality I have found for first earth
according to serious science.
I was an atheist until ten and one half year old. Then I used scientific logic
and shocked myself when scientific logic showed me the existence of God. I am
not a blind believer. I am a firm believer in God and Christianity because
scientific facts, logic, etc. proved them valid to me the original great
skeptic. God tries to be very loving for mankind and mankind tries so hard to
freeze God out of their daily lives and out of their nations. St. Padre Pio,
fantastic Catholic priest and monk with the wounds of Christ on his body for 50
years. Huge amounts of Miracles of God occurred with his life which forced his
fast canonization in the Roman Catholic Church once he died shortly ago in our
modern times. Look up in search engines and see the amazing collection of
supernatural things that occurred due to him and stunned people made public
testimony of the Miracles of God they received from him. He also told people
secrets of their lives which shocked them. He once wrote to me when I was in
military school and told me something he could not know except by supernatural
means. He indicated that I would fulfill the ancient prophet of St. Francis of
Paola who was the greatest Miracle of God worker in Christianity maybe since
the time of Christ and the Apostles. Also, all his prophecies came true. He had
this famous prophecy of 1470 which is actively a collection of several
prohecies of his, but one point caught my eye. He said that the man who is
going to rally Christianity in the Westen World will become known for using
science to prove the existence of God. Also, his supporters would become known
for using science to prove God and the Bible true and to be believed in. Also,
they would be a super pool of talent and solve major problems of later mankind
but by science, etc. as God blessed them to do this to help mankind out with.
His 1470 reference to shortly before 1870 is I received authority for the
movement founded before 1870 and turned it into the beginning of the most
dynamic Christian movement to be seen in human history if St. Francis of Paola
was right in his prophecy. He refers to the rebels who become the best
Christians in human history and lead Christianity to one last great triumph in
world history. Once when mankind becomes so corrupt again will then the
Antichrist, etc. occur for real! According to St. Francis of Paola.
Evangelist Ronald Coyne with the Plastic Eye Miracle where he could see with or
without a plastic eye inserted into his empty right eye socket shocked people
across America and abroad who saw this. When around 7 years old, he lost his
right eye. After a woman evangelist prayed for him, he could suddenly see with
or without plastic eye inserted and he became known as the "Plastic Eye
Miracle" in Christian circles. He and I became good friends after I met
him years ago in Wash., D.C. He later prayed for me in the Name Of Jesus Christ
and a broken toe of mine for four years was instantly healed and straightened
out. Strange to feel my toe bones float apart and reset. People across America
got stunning Miracles of God when he prayed for them in the Name of Jesus
Christ. He died a few years ago and most of the churches never saw him as they
were trying too hard to deny true Miracles of God still occur on earth and even
in American society.
For those thinking Christianity has nothing to offer temporarily to modern man,
Jesus taught that man would be blessed if he did not hoard money and cursed if
he did hoard money. Jesus Money based upon this teaching of the New Testament
has four times in history skyrocketed economies whenever Jesus Money was used.
I studied under six of the most brilliant economists of America and Europe and
know how to set up Jesus Money for America. It four times in history created
wild prosperity for those people who did what Jesus told them to do to bless
their societies they live in on earth. When my Omni Law shown on my website is
passed in America, then we can skyrocket the economy of America like happened
four times before in history. Always, the banking interests got terribly upset
with all the people becoming rich in life and no unemployed or poor in society,
all businesses booming, and governments becoming terribly rich and prosperity
with this without need of high taxes. They overthreww it each time so they
could make mankind suffer until they borrowed money at often blood money rates
in order to survive.
Pass this report around. By the way, people don't want me to write long reports
as they want quick fix hamburgers and quick read reports, so I stop here. Read
the lives of the saints and you will find that Christianity has had huge
numbers of Miracles of God from the time of Christ up through 2014 on earth.
You will see abundant proof of the supernatural and love of God for mankind if
you read the life stories of those who have been the pillars of support for
Christianity for nearly 2,000 years now!
Look up the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima in Oct, 1917. Witnessed by maybe
70,000 to 100,000 people and finally topped the atheistic government of
Portugal by discrediting it! You can debate whether it was from God or else
Satan because some people get upset that so big an event might not totally
match with their current theory about Christianity, but the event was
supernatural. That means at Fatima God and Satan were fighting for the minds
and hearts of mankind on earth. With such a supernatural event, God definitely
exists from a scientific standpoint. Also, Satan as even the Message of Fatima
admitted. It called for mankind to return to God to head off a later World War
II. If mankind did not return to God, then later a World War III would occur
that would annihilate entire nations. It also predicted the Communist takeover
of prior Czarist Russia in 1917 and would spread error, persecution, and war
across the world.
Pass this report around to wake America up to God and Christianity is the true
faith for mankind on earth! My website is www.fastboomamericaneconomy.com
My email is fastboomamericaneconomy.com@gmail.com My mailing address
for orders sent in by mail instead of placed throught the website is NIFI, P.O.
Box 1465, Seneca, SC 29679 . Make checks, etc. out to NIFI and tell what the
payment is for. Money produced helps finance the passage of my proposed Omni
Law on this website. With the passage of the Omni Law, Jesus Money will be
voted into national power by national referendum of you the American
peopl e! Also, other great things for the American people. Time you
learn that Christianity has the answers needed by mankind today, not evil
leaders and hate to say it like Obama who is intensely dedicated to intense
evil for America and the world!
And now my copied report on the valid basis of tradition in Apostolic
Christianity. This issue has incorrectly divided Christianity. Time to heal
some of the false issues that incorrectly divided Christianity.
Thus Paul tells the Corinthians, "I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I have delivered them to you" (1 Cor. 11:2), and he commands the Thessalonians, "So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter" (2 Thess. 2:15). He even goes so far as to order, "Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is living in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us" (2 Thess. 3:6).
To make sure that the apostolic tradition would be passed down after the deaths of the apostles, Paul told Timothy, "[W]hat you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also" (2 Tim. 2:2). In this passage he refers to the first four generations of apostolic succession—his own generation, Timothy’s generation, the generation Timothy will teach, and the generation they in turn will teach.
The early Church Fathers, who were links in that chain of succession, recognized the necessity of the traditions that had been handed down from the apostles and guarded them scrupulously, as the following quotations show.
Papias
"Papias [A.D. 120], who is now mentioned by us, affirms that he
received the sayings of the apostles from those who accompanied them, and he,
moreover, asserts that he heard in person Aristion and the presbyter John.
Accordingly, he mentions them frequently by name, and in his writings gives
their traditions [concerning Jesus]. . . . [There are] other passages of his in
which he relates some miraculous deeds, stating that he acquired the knowledge
of them from tradition" (fragment in Eusebius, Church
History 3:39 [A.D. 312]).
Eusebius
of Caesarea
"At that time [A.D. 150] there flourished in the Church Hegesippus,
whom we know from what has gone before, and Dionysius, bishop of Corinth, and
another bishop, Pinytus of Crete, and besides these, Philip, and Apollinarius,
and Melito, and Musanus, and Modestus, and, finally, Irenaeus. From them has
come down to us in writing, the sound and orthodox faith received from
tradition" (Church History 4:21).
Irenaeus
"As I said before, the Church, having received this preaching and this faith,
although she is disseminated throughout the whole world, yet guarded it, as if
she occupied but one house. She likewise believes these things just as if she
had but one soul and one and the same heart; and harmoniously she proclaims
them and teaches them and hands them down, as if she possessed but one mouth.
For, while the languages of the world are diverse, nevertheless, the authority
of the tradition is one and the same" (Against Heresies 1:10:2
[A.D. 189]). "That is why it is surely necessary to avoid them [heretics], while cherishing with the utmost diligence the things pertaining to the Church, and to lay hold of the tradition of truth. . . . What if the apostles had not in fact left writings to us? Would it not be necessary to follow the order of tradition, which was handed down to those to whom they entrusted the churches?" (ibid., 3:4:1).
...
"It is possible, then, for everyone in every church, who may wish to know the truth, to contemplate the tradition of the apostles which has been made known throughout the whole world. And we are in a position to enumerate those who were instituted bishops by the apostles and their successors to our own times—men who neither knew nor taught anything like these heretics rave about.
"But since it would be too long to enumerate in such a volume as this the successions of all the churches, we shall confound all those who, in whatever manner, whether through self-satisfaction or vainglory, or through blindness and wicked opinion, assemble other than where it is proper, by pointing out here the successions of the bishops of the greatest and most ancient church known to all, founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul, that church which has the tradition and the faith which comes down to us after having been announced to men by the apostles.
"With this church, because of its superior origin, all churches must agree—that is, all the faithful in the whole world—and it is in her that the faithful everywhere have maintained the apostolic tradition" (ibid., 3:3:1–2).
Clement
of Alexandria
"Well, they preserving the tradition of the blessed doctrine derived
directly from the holy apostles, Peter, James, John, and Paul, the sons
receiving it from the father (but few were like the fathers), came by God’s
will to us also to deposit those ancestral and apostolic seeds. And well I know
that they will exult; I do not mean delighted with this tribute, but solely on
account of the preservation of the truth, according as they delivered it. For
such a sketch as this, will, I think, be agreeable to a soul desirous of
preserving from loss the blessed tradition" (Miscellanies 1:1
[A.D. 208]).
Origen
"Although there are many who believe that they themselves hold to the
teachings of Christ, there are yet some among them who think differently from
their predecessors. The teaching of the Church has indeed been handed down
through an order of succession from the apostles and remains in the churches
even to the present time. That alone is to be believed as the truth which is in
no way at variance with ecclesiastical and apostolic tradition" (The
Fundamental Doctrines 1:2 [A.D. 225]).
Cyprian
of Carthage
"[T]he Church is one, and as she is one, cannot be both within and
without. For if she is with Novatian, she was not with [Pope] Cornelius. But if
she was with Cornelius, who succeeded the bishop Fabian by lawful ordination,
and whom, beside the honor of the priesthood the Lord glorified also with
martyrdom, Novatian is not in the Church; nor can he be reckoned as a bishop,
who, succeeding to no one, and despising the evangelical and apostolic
tradition, sprang from himself. For he who has not been ordained in the Church
can neither have nor hold to the Church in any way" (Letters 75:3
[A.D. 253]).
Athanasius
"Again we write, again keeping to the apostolic traditions, we remind
each other when we come together for prayer; and keeping the feast in common,
with one mouth we truly give thanks to the Lord. Thus giving thanks unto him,
and being followers of the saints, ‘we shall make our praise in the Lord all
the day,’ as the psalmist says. So, when we rightly keep the feast, we shall be
counted worthy of that joy which is in heaven" (Festal Letters 2:7
[A.D. 330]). "But you are blessed, who by faith are in the Church, dwell upon the foundations of the faith, and have full satisfaction, even the highest degree of faith which remains among you unshaken. For it has come down to you from apostolic tradition, and frequently accursed envy has wished to unsettle it, but has not been able" (ibid., 29).
Basil
the Great
"Of the dogmas and messages preserved in the Church, some we possess
from written teaching and others we receive from the tradition of the apostles,
handed on to us in mystery. In respect to piety, both are of the same force. No
one will contradict any of these, no one, at any rate, who is even moderately
versed in matters ecclesiastical. Indeed, were we to try to reject unwritten
customs as having no great authority, we would unwittingly injure the gospel in
its vitals; or rather, we would reduce [Christian] message to a mere term"
(The Holy Spirit 27:66 [A.D. 375]).
Epiphanius
of Salamis
"It is needful also to make use of tradition, for not everything can be
gotten from sacred Scripture. The holy apostles handed down some things in the
scriptures, other things in tradition" (Medicine Chest Against All
Heresies 61:6 [A.D. 375]).
Augustine
"[T]he custom [of not rebaptizing converts] . . . may be supposed to
have had its origin in apostolic tradition, just as there are many things which
are observed by the whole Church, and therefore are fairly held to have been
enjoined by the apostles, which yet are not mentioned in their writings" (On
Baptism, Against the Donatists 5:23[31] [A.D. 400]). "But the admonition that he [Cyprian] gives us, ‘that we should go back to the fountain, that is, to apostolic tradition, and thence turn the channel of truth to our times,’ is most excellent, and should be followed without hesitation" (ibid., 5:26[37]).
"But in regard to those observances which we carefully attend and which the whole world keeps, and which derive not from Scripture but from Tradition, we are given to understand that they are recommended and ordained to be kept, either by the apostles themselves or by plenary [ecumenical] councils, the authority of which is quite vital in the Church" (Letter to Januarius [A.D. 400]).
John
Chrysostom
"[Paul commands,] ‘Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the
traditions which you have been taught, whether by word or by our letter’ [2
Thess. 2:15]. From this it is clear that they did not hand down everything by
letter, but there is much also that was not written. Like that which was
written, the unwritten too is worthy of belief. So let us regard the tradition
of the Church also as worthy of belief. Is it a tradition? Seek no
further" (Homilies on Second Thessalonians [A.D.
402]).
Vincent
of Lerins
"With great zeal and closest attention, therefore, I frequently
inquired of many men, eminent for their holiness and doctrine, how I might, in
a concise and, so to speak, general and ordinary way, distinguish the truth of
the Catholic faith from the falsehood of heretical depravity. "I received almost always the same answer from all of them—that if I or anyone else wanted to expose the frauds and escape the snares of the heretics who rise up, and to remain intact and in sound faith, it would be necessary, with the help of the Lord, to fortify that faith in a twofold manner: first, of course, by the authority of divine law [Scripture] and then by the tradition of the Catholic Church.
"Here, perhaps, someone may ask: ‘If the canon of the scriptures be perfect and in itself more than suffices for everything, why is it necessary that the authority of ecclesiastical interpretation be joined to it?’ Because, quite plainly, sacred Scripture, by reason of its own depth, is not accepted by everyone as having one and the same meaning. . . .
"Thus, because of so many distortions of such various errors, it is highly necessary that the line of prophetic and apostolic interpretation be directed in accord with the norm of the ecclesiastical and Catholic meaning" (The Notebooks [A.D. 434]).
Pope
Agatho
"[T]he holy Church of God . . . has been established upon the firm rock
of this Church of blessed Peter, the prince of the apostles, which by his grace
and guardianship remains free from all error, [and possesses that faith that]
the whole number of rulers and priests, of the clergy and of the people,
unanimously should confess and preach with us as the true declaration of the
apostolic tradition, in order to please God and to save their own souls"
(Letter read at fourth session of III Constantinople [A.D. 680]).NIHIL OBSTAT: I have concluded that the materials
presented in this work are free of doctrinal or moral errors.
Bernadeane Carr, STL, Censor Librorum, August 10, 2004
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