On the evening of November 4th I was in attendance of the opening session of the 2011 National Catholic Charismatic Conference in Baltimore, Maryland where Ralph Martin ( http://www.renewalministries.net/?module=Events&event=Speaker&speakerID=29 ) was the presenter. Mr. Martin spoke to the attendees of the state of our world today and our call to holiness. His words on the state of the world, our world, held power and truth. Mr. Martin referenced 2 Thessalonians 2 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Thessalonians%202&version=NASB ) where the members of the Church of Thessalonia were reminded that there would be a time during which the ‘veil of evil’ would be removed and ‘lawlessness’ would be ‘set free’. During this time, people would be called upon to make a choice between taking part in the ‘lawlessness’ or living a holy life; living in the truth of a life of ‘love’. Mr. Martin proclaimed that the ‘veil of lawnessness’ has been removed right now; in our lifetime, in our world, in the society in which we live. He reminded us of the “aggressive moves that are prevalent which are being made to silence the voice of the Church”; attempts to choke off the Word, the voice of God.
Today, in the Charleston Gazette, I read an article written by Rachel Zoll of the Associated Press entitled “Catholic bishops prepare to fight for religious liberty”. Read the article my friends! ( http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/world/52908108-68/bishops-catholic-religious-health.html.csp ) We, you and I, are part of the “Catholics in the Next America”, and will be part of the body who shape the Next America and who help form the next generation who will be living in the New America.
It doesn’t take any stretch of imagination to see that the time spoken of in 2 Thessalonians 2, the time of lawlessness – of the veil of evil being removed – of increasing intolerance of Christianity, is now. The bishops will be giving rhetoric to the dilemma and direction to the Church very soon now. In the interim and far beyond our work is to continue to proclaim God’s truth; whether popular or not. The theme of the National Catholic Charismatic Conference was “Standing on Holy Ground”. Ralph Martin, through the power of the Holy Spirit, opened our eyes to a twist on that theme. Yes, we are standing on Holy Ground for ‘God is here, in this place’, but the twist begs a question rather than proclaiming a truth. The question: “Will you stand firm on the Holy Ground? The Holy Ground that is the ‘truth’ of God’s love and our salvation through Jesus Christ?
Mr. Martin reminded us that being holy is, in essence, loving God with our whole heart, soul, mind, and body. He reminded us that we ‘can’ be holy; for we were created to be one with God, one through Jesus Christ. We must say ‘yes’…now! Yes I will be holy. Yes I will stand firm. Yes, I will love you God with my whole heart, mind, body, and soul; and I will love others! The veil is off. Lawlessness is on the loose. For us to say less than a wholehearted ‘yes’ would be asking Catholics less than they have to give. And, the Church must continue to give us all that the Gospel has to give for it is this truth upon which we must be standing firm. Mr. Martin spoke powerfully when he said that “the battle lines” have been drawn, and we must choose on which side of the line we will “stand firm”. Of these will come the “New Evangelization” all around us.
As we can see in 2 Peter 2 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Peter%202&version=NASB ), God surely is vexed at what is happening, and his judgement will be on ‘all’. My friends, on which side of the ‘judgement’ line do you wish to be…wish to be with your whole heart, your whole soul, your whole mind, and your whole body?
godsday 