Hi to my Forum Friends,
The discussion I recently started "What Is The Gap Theory -- And Can It Harm Believers?" has quickly slipped into a Roman Catholic versus Protestant harangue. This leads me to several very important questions: Is a person saved by being a Roman Catholic or by being a Protestant? Is a person saved because of the church which he/she attends? The answer to both questions is a resounding NO!
We are saved by the grace of God, through faith in Jesus Christ -- plus NOTHING else! Read about it in Ephesians 2:8-9.
This has led me to resurrect a discussion I had with a Friend in August 2007, when he responded to an article I had written in The Conservative Voice. Below is an e-mail I sent in my Friends Ministry eNewsletter because of this exchange.
As I say in my e-mail below, I find Dr. Anthony Pezzotta to be the best resource for anyone who truly wants to understand and discuss the issue of Roman Catholicism versus Protestantism. Tony spent a large part of his live in the Roman Catholic church. For ten years he was director of a Roman Catholic seminary in the Philippines, with the task of teaching other Roman Catholic priests. And when he decided to leave Catholicism to become a Protestant leader and teacher, he did not leave the Catholic people. Tony turned from Catholicism; not from the Catholic people. Because of his deep love for the people, both Roman Catholic and Protestant -- he can reason from a viewpoint based strongly on both Catholic seminary teaching and on Protestant seminary teaching. This is why I highly recommend his book "Truth Encounter, Catholicism and the Holy Scriptures."
You can find ordering information on the Conservative Baptist web site:
CB Southern California http://www.cbasc.com/latest_news.htm
On this web site, scroll down to the section in the lower right which shows available books and find the one labeled: Catholicism and the Bible. This will give you more information on the book, Truth Encounters, and how to order it.
To answer one final question which I am sure will arise on the Religion Forum: NO, I do not receive any commission nor kick back for pushing this book. However, I do receive rewards in heaven whenever anyone heeds my advise -- and, through this, opens his/her heart to the ministering of the Holy Spirit. So, do not be concerned that you may make Bill Gray rich in earthly things -- just purchase this book for your own sake and for the sake of those you love.
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Subject: YOUR MISSION, SHOULD YOU DECIDE TO ACCEPT IT. . .
Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2007 16:46:58 -0800 From: Bill Gray
Hi to all my Friends,
Two Sundays ago, my wife, Dory, and I visited our Filipino-American church in San Juan Capistrano to hear Dr. Anthony Pezzotta speak. I have known about Dr. Pezzotta for about fifteen years, since a friend gave me an early unpublished manuscript of the book which is now currently in bookstores, "Far From Rome, Near To God." This book is the written testimonies of fifty Catholic priests who left Catholicism to join Protestant churches in spreading the full truth of Jesus Christ and His church. In that early pre-publication manuscript, Dr. Pezzotta's testimony was the first -- and it immediately caught my eye, for it involved a Catholic priest and seminary leader/teacher who was born into a Roman Catholic family in Italy, earned advanced degrees in Roman Catholic Seminaries in Rome, England, Spain, and Germany -- and then spent ten years in the Philippines.
Ordained a priest in 1961, in 1964 he was assigned as Director of Schools and Seminaries, and as a Rector of Local Salesian Communities in the Philippines. In 1974, through studying the Scriptures on his own, and through the testimony of Rev. Ernesto Montealegre, a Filipino Baptist pastor, Tony trusted Jesus Christ alone as Savior and Lord of his life -- and left Catholicism to join the Santa Cruz Baptist Church, where he was baptized on March 3, 1974.
In 2001, Dr. Pezzotta joined the Conservative Baptist Association of Southern California where he is currently serving as Director of Ethnic Ministries.
So, after feeling that I have known Tony Pezzotta for fifteen years, just two weeks ago I finally met him in person and heard him speak. I was not disappointed. He gave our sermon message that morning; then after fellowship (which in the Filipino churches always means good food plus good Christian camaraderie) Tony held a Question & Answer session for several hours, giving personal and Biblical answers to any and all questions. One man stood and said, "I am a Catholic. Am I sinning by coming to this (Baptist) church?" Tony's brief answer was, "No" -- but, then he went on to address this man's question in more detail, as one who has been in his shoes and has found the Truth, and would like to help this man do the same -- an honest answer, not demeaning nor looking down upon this man for his Catholicism, but offering to personally share the Truth with him.
This is why I personally respect Dr. Anthony Pezzotta, and why I highly recommend his book "Truth Encounter, Catholicism and the Holy Scriptures, with the subtitle, A Bible Study For Catholics." This book is available by contacting:
CB Southern California
PO Box 2279
Montclair, CA 91763-0779
Phone: 909.482.0728
or by contacting CB Ministries at cbministries@cbasc.com
The price of the book is $9 per copy in the United States -- shipment outside the United States will require a shipping cost. You may contact CB Ministries to find more about the shipping costs. Individual copies may be ordered, or a box containing thirty books if you or your church or ministry would like to make copies available to those in your fellowship.
The book "Truth Encounters" is available in both English and Spanish; however the Spanish language version supply is running low until another printing. So, if you need the Spanish version --- don't waste too much time in contacting CB Ministries.
This book would be a bargain at ten times that cost; for it gives an honest, loving answer to many questions that both Catholics and non-Catholics alike probably have had at one time or another.
When you contact CB Southern California, you will want to also request the four page booklet/tract written by Dr. Pezzotta titled, "Should I Leave My Church?" In this booklet/tract, the question is asked: "I am a Roman Catholic, but recently in a home Bible study I accepted Christ as my Saviour and Lord, and I know now that I am a born-again person, a child of God; I know that I have eternal life. Soon I hope to follow Jesus in the witness of baptism. Do you think I can stay in the Roman Catholic Church, or do you advise me to leave it? Is it necessary or important for me to join an Evangelical church?"
This booklet/tract caught my attention because, in the Q&A session two weeks ago, I ask a similar question of Tony. Through the years, in my Friends Ministry and in personal conversations, I have often been asked and have discussed the question, "Bill, can a person be a born-again Christian and remain in the Roman Catholic church?" So, you might imagine, I was all ears waiting to hear Dr. Pezzotta's answer to this question.
You can read his detailed response in the four page booklet/tract written by Dr. Pezzotta, "Should I Leave My Church?" The subtitle for this booklet/tract is "An Answer From God's Word To A Practical Question."
I have a personal copy and do intend to copy it into my computer so that I will be able to share it with Friends worldwide. However, when you contact CB Southern California about getting the book "Truth Encounter, Catholicism and the Holy Scriptures" -- you might also want to purchase a supply of the "Should I Leave My Church?" booklet/tract for use in your own church or ministry.
I will be happy to scan my copy and e-mail it to anyone who requests it.
The booklet/tract is available in English, Spanish, and I believe in several Filipino dialects. That last part we can confirm if you have a need.
"Your mission, Mr. Phelps, should you decide to accept it, is to. . . " Sorry, I had a flashback to Mission Impossible; but you and I know that our mission is not impossible -- for we are commissioned by Jesus Christ Himself to Go, Make disciples, Baptize them, Teach them (Matt 28:18-20) and to be His witnesses throughout the world (Acts 1:8, Mark 16:15).
So, your mission, should you decide to accept it -- is to share this message with all your Friends, Relatives, Associates, and Neighbors -- all your FRANs. Our mission needs all the "unsecret" agents we can recruit.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
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