Wolves At The Door

At Miletus, Paul spoke to the presbyters of the Church of Ephesus:
“Keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock
of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers,
in which you tend the Church of God
that he acquired with his own Blood.
I know that after my departure savage wolves will come among you,
and they will not spare the flock.
And from your own group, men will come forward perverting the truth
to draw the disciples away after them.
So be vigilant and remember that for three years, night and day,
I unceasingly admonished each of you with tears.
And now I commend you to God
and to that gracious word of his that can build you up
and give you the inheritance among all who are consecrated.
I have never wanted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.
You know well that these very hands
have served my needs and my companions.
In every way, I have shown you that by hard work of that sort
we must help the weak,
and keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who himself said,
‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

When he had finished speaking
he knelt down and prayed with them all.
They were all weeping loudly
as they threw their arms around Paul and kissed him,
for they were deeply distressed that he had said
that they would never see his face again.
Then they escorted him to the ship.

Don't let anyone ever tell you that the Bible is boring.  Oh, I guess if you read (yawn) Leviticus (yawn) you could get that impression but read Paul's speech again.  It is bold, it is comforting and it is a man saying goodbye for the last time to people he has grown close to.  He also warns them that once he is gone others will come and try to bring a new perverted doctrine to follow and that they should remember what he taught them for it was the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. 

Did the "Reformers" read these words and take them to heart in the sixteenth century? No, for they were the wolves of that era that came to scatter the flock of the Lord but praise God the Church, through the strength and power of the Holy Spirit survived and has grown all of these years since then while those that revolted carve themselves up into smaller and more numerous denominations, at least thirty-thousand so far! 

The wolves of this era, the twenty-first century, who can trace their genealogy back to every heresy that was ever taught and every error that was ever repeated for there is no heretical thought that has not already been expressed in the two thousand years that the Church has lived that is new.  Every error taught by the "New Age" movement has been taught before and will fall away and be taught in future centuries as well. The heretical dreams of man are finite but the Truth of God is infinite. The Word of the Lord remains constant and unchanging over the centuries and the Truth resides in His Church. 

Listen carefully to what the One, Holy, Catholic, and  Apostolic Church teaches, she is protected from teaching error by the Holy Spirit.  The Church belongs not to the Pope, not to the Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, Deacons or lay people but to her founder the Lord Jesus Christ.  We all serve at his pleasure.  It is His teachings we love and whose words we follow and it is His guarantee that His Church is protected by the Holy Spirit that we trust in for He can neither deceive nor be deceived. 

Purgatory is filled with up and coming saints.  They are assured of a place in heaven.  They will be so grateful to those that prayed for them and shortened their stay.  Those that pray for the poor souls make true forever friends.  Don't forget about them.  Pray for them today, offer the trials and tribulations of your life for them.  You will not regret it.