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The Persistent Pursuit of Truth
Pilate's question, "What is truth?" has reverberated down through history. The Greek word for "truth" is "aletheia," which means "non-concealment." It conveys the idea that truth is available for all to see, with nothing being hidden or obscured. Truth denotes what is real, not what is concealed or falsified.  The Lord Jesus is the personification of truth (John 14:6); He is the true light and the true vine (John 1:9; 15:1). He sent the Spirit of truth who guides the believer into truth (John 15:26; 16:13). Abiding in Christ's word enables us to know the truth and be set free from the bondage of deception (John 8:32). When we are reluctant to pursue the truth, we cannot be genuine lovers of truth. Christians who love truth will speak the truth in love with a desire to see hearts and minds turn from every false way.
As messengers of the truth, we are not perfect, but God's Word is always perfect, infallible, and forever settled in heaven (Isaiah 55:11; Ps. 119:89). God's Word is eternal and never changes (Mat. 5:18). That is why we are to test every man's teaching with the supreme authority of Scripture so that we will not be carried away by persuasive personalities or long-standing religious traditions (Acts 17:11).
Christians must seek honest solutions to any disagreements over doctrine by pursuing the truth with humble, teachable spirits (Col. 3:16; 2 Tim. 2:15). They would seek to maintain the unity of the Spirit, but never at the expense of tolerating error or compromising biblical doctrines. Lovers of truth will give instruction in sound doctrine and be able to refute those who contradict it (Titus 1:9). They will also welcome reproof and correction because they desire to handle the Word of God accurately in order to be equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16).
Why is it so important to seek truth in all areas of our faith? It is because there are consequences for being wrong. We can be wrong about a lot of things in this life and still survive, but if we are wrong about our faith, we will suffer for that mistake throughout all eternity. Eternity is an awfully long time to be wrong. Truth demands that I try to know and love it with an open mind in order to discern it with intellectual integrity.
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Filipino Men Nailed to Cross to Atone for Sin
Thousands of Filipinos watched as their neighbors engaged in self-flagellation on Good Friday. Others volunteered to be nailed to the cross, a tradition that has been carried out for decades. The whippings and crucifixions are carried out with "the belief that such extreme sacrifices are a way to atone for their sins, attain miracle cures for illnesses, or give thanks to God." Some walk the streets beating their bare backs bloody while others gather to watch the men who volunteer themselves to be nailed to the cross. Ruben Enaje, 55, one of a dozen men to be nailed to the cross, has been doing it each year for the past 30 years. He says that he began the ritual after surviving a fall from a three-story building in the 1980's. The vast majority of Filipinos, approximately 80 percent, are Roman Catholic. An estimated 2.8 percent of the population profess to be evangelical Christians. Watch video here.
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Letters from Around the World
Mr. Gendron, I saw your TV program on WVCY and I was appalled at the lies and falsehoods you spew forth regarding the ONE TRUE CHURCH. Mary is the Mother of God, she is the co-redemptrix. and she is the new Eve through her act of obedience to God. You are leading many down the path of perdition. I will continue to pray for your soul. May God have mercy on you. On the day of judgement all will be revealed. I pray that you don't end up as a goat on His left. In Christ and His Blessed Mother, B.C., Internet.
Dear B.C., Mary is the mother of the human Jesus who is both fully God and fully man. He is the 2nd person of the eternal Triune God. For Mary to be the mother of God, she would have had to pre-exist the eternal God, which is impossible. God had no beginning and will have no end (Psalm 90:2). He is immortal, which means he never was "born" and never had a "mother." Jesus did have a beginning to His humanity when he was conceived in Mary's womb and was born, but from eternity past He has always been the Son of God. However, He "did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Phil. 2:6-7). Like most Catholics you believe that Mary said yes to God and it is only because of her obedience that we have a Savior. However, nowhere in Scripture do we see God commanding Mary to be the mother of the Savior. She is the passive recipient of divine favor. An angel said to her, "you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus" (Luke 1:30-31). I pray you will do as the apostle Paul did and exchange your worthless religion for an eternal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ (Phil 3:4-10).
Dear Mike, I was extremely thrilled to read your article on religious pride. I've wondered just how to say all of this to my Catholic friends and family and you nailed it. I never tried writing it out but now I can use your message as a tool and they don't need to blame me for my particular words. I'm 71 now and left the "church" (cult) only to learn later, the great deception I was in. You hit the nail on the head, point by point of my own experience. I was told it was "not wise" to read the Bible because the "church" will do it. They nearly locked us out of the truth! I have studied much on the topic and your ministry has helped so much with videos and tracts. May God continue to bless your ministry. P. R., Farbault, MN
Dear Mike, We so appreciate your ministry. Thank you for your commitment to those coming from the Catholic faith and helping the rest of us understand their challenges to believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. B.A., Milwaukee, WI
Dear Mike, As we read your email, we were both discouraged and encouraged. First, we were greatly discouraged because a solid believing brother with sound doctrine must step down out of leadership. We hold you and Jane in high regard because of your fidelity to the truth and your upright conduct, and are dismayed to learn you are no longer an elder in your own home church! We have seen many awful problems with the church in our region over the last decade. Our area is a spiritually "parched" land, so we have wondered if this area is worse off than others. However, we were heartbroken to hear that your church in TX is experiencing the same challenges. It makes 1 Peter 5:9 come to mind. Nonetheless, we were encouraged because you sought to have God's approval, not man's. That is a rare characteristic of believers these days, it seems. That you would so love the truth that you would stand with the Lord even when men stand by their "theologians" was encouraging and inspiring. One of the main problems related to all of this is "celebrity" Christianity, when men get to a place of public prominence and are allowed to get away with false teaching, poor conduct, and even, in some cases, outright sin. It is all overlooked or glossed over because they are "big name theologians". They are elevated, promoted, and followed, while those who try to correct the errors or who point out the poor or sinful conduct are shamed and silenced. We are blessed to call you dear friends in the Lord, and thank you for your prayers. Name Withheld
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Pope Calls for More Tolerance and Less Judgment
 Pope Francis called for the church to be more tolerant and urged priests around the world to be more accepting of gays and lesbians, divorced Catholics, and other people living in what the church considers "irregular" situations.
"A pastor cannot feel that it is enough simply to apply moral laws ... as if they were stones to throw at people's lives," Francis writes in a sweeping paper outlining his stance on family matters. He urges more common sense and less unthinking following of rules. "By thinking that everything is black and white, we sometimes close off the way of grace and growth," he writes. He emphasizes that "unjust discrimination" against gays and lesbians is unacceptable, and downplays the idea of "living in sin." For those paying attention to Francis since he became Pope three years ago, his "apostolic exhortation" is unlikely to come as a surprise. He calls much more for tolerance and mercy than for judgment in the paper. The Pope tells priests that they should make decisions appropriate to their local conditions. "Each country or region ... can seek solutions better suited to its culture and sensitive to its traditions and local needs," he writes in a possible effort to satisfy both liberals and conservatives by decentralizing authority. Read more.
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No Compromise Radio Interviews Mike
How different is Roman Catholicism from Biblical Christianity? Mike Gendron discusses this topic with Pastor Mike Abendroth on No Compromise Radio . Abendroth graduated from The Master's Seminary in 1996 and received his doctorate in Expository Preaching at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in May 2006. You can hear the interview here. |
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The Vatican's Corrective Response to the Oscar- Winning Film "Spotlight" Is Minimal
 Pope Francis' proposed Vatican tribunal to judge bishops who covered up for pedophile priests is going nowhere fast. Despite fresh focus from the Oscar-winning film "Spotlight" on how Catholic bishops protected priests who raped children, Francis' most significant sex abuse-related initiative to date has stalled. It's a victim of a premature roll-out, unresolved legal and administrative questions, and resistance both inside and outside of the Holy See, church officials and canon lawyers say. Read more.
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Mike Gendron Explains How to Help Roman Catholics Escape the False Gospel of Rome
Larry Wessels, director of Christian Answers of Austin, Texas, has just released a video interview with Mike Gendron that was conducted over 20 years ago. Mike explains how a ministry to evangelize Roman Catholics can equip and encourage the Body of Christ to be faithful to the Great Commission. You can watch the video here.
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We hope you've enjoyed this month's e-Newsletter. Please let us know how we can serve you!
Mike and Jane Gendron
(972) 495-0485
PO Box 940871, Plano, TX 75094
www.ProclaimingTheGospel.org
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DVD of the Month
The Supreme Authority for Truth
Religious people fall into serious error and peril when they suppress the truth of God's Word in unrighteousness. In this message, Mike shows how Scripture has authority over the teachings and traditions of men. He also shows how Roman Catholic traditions deny the sufficiency of our Lord Jesus Christ and oppose His Gospel of grace. Only the truth of God's Word can set the captives free!
The 2nd message is True Faith or False Hope: How Can I Be Sure? It is based on our most popular Gospel tract by the same title. Satan's most cruel deception is convincing lost people they are saved. Mike shows how they have become victims of the worst kind of deception.
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