[soc.religion.christian] Marian Apparitions, From God?

gfs@icd.ab.com (05/18/91)

Dear netters,

In response to the April post of the message through Medjegorje, I got an
email letter warning that the apparition was from a demon from Satan.
This warning on spiritual experiences has also been posted, so I thought
I would post my follow up as well.  Here goes...

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	I wanted to drop you a quick note to acknowledge your email letter.
I will not try to sugar-coat or be to 'glowing' or 'warm and fuzzy' about
my own position or opinion concerning these apparitions and messages.
I fully understand and appreciate your concern regarding the danger of 
false spirits misleading many.  However, I cannot deny my faith that I have
found enough truth as a Bible-believing and Jesus-Loving Christian in the
messages, to dare to at least tell others about them and suggest they 
consider them as well.
	There are so many people in the world who do not believe in God at all,
who never go to church, or even if they do it is just going through the motions.
People in general in the world don't believe in miracles anymore, that God
is really real, and God can and does change and do things.  The reason given
why these apparitions and messages are happening now is because most people need
to experience a miracle in order to begin believing again.
	Your faith is strong, very strong, it is easy to tell from your letter
and the devotion you expressed to the Bible and God.  I really, honestly think
what God is doing in the world is calling to those who do not have faith at
all.  To those who have faith, it is a challenge to what we have our faith
in, God Himself, or a bunch of particular details about the Bible we happen
to think are 'The Truth'?  Are we so unwilling to admit that maybe some of
the details of what we believe maybe are not exactly the whole story, given
that God's ways are higher than ours?  This is my position.  I see God working
in the world, calling millions and millions back to faith.  Is the way He is
doing it the best way I could have thought of?  Maybe not.  What would be
your idea as to the best way God could use to call out to the world again,
to reach millions and billions of people across large cultural and society
differences?  Could you not admit that maybe any idea you or I have is 
perhaps not the same method God chooses to use?
	So it is with some humility that I see these things going on, I
observe many, many good results, thousands of genuine renewals of faith
all over the world, a world-wide renewal of faith beginning.  How dare I
choose to say it is not God doing it?  I can only keep looking at the whole
picture and each day decide whether there is more evidence for it or against
it.  I invite you to keep your faith strong as ever and consider that God
may be working in the world in a way you or I don't fully understand.

	I ask you this, do you believe in the action of the Holy Spirit today?
Modern day gifts of healing, prophecy?  Do you believe in the REAL resurrection
of Jesus, in the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in each true Christian?  God 
living IN YOU?  I have given my life over totally to Jesus.
For some reason I happen to think you do too, from the zeal you show for God.
I believe and live in this faith.  Well, consider this is a REAL MIRACLE,
and nothing changes that, nothing can get in the way of your relationship with
God indwelling in you.  Your faith does not have to feel threatened or 
challenged because God is reaching out to those in spiritual need all over the
world, in a way perhaps different from than you or I are used to.  Or are we
like the Pharisees, who were so sure they were right that they did not even
recognize who Jesus was, when he was literally walking, preaching and teaching 
among them?

	So take my words kindly, Darren.  Yes I am aware of the danger of 
deception.  To quote your letter:

| If this spirit can say "I serve Jesus,
|who is God, who was born of a virgin, died and on the third rose again,"
|without any struggle, I stand corrected.  Test this spirit!

There are many books containing the accounts of what has been going on in
Medjegorje, and one posting cannot possibly fill in all the details.  I
testify to you that according to your criterion for acceptance of this
spirit, it is true.  When the apparitions started back in June of 1981,
everyone was concerned as you are about a deception from Satan.  Very early
the spirit was commanded in the name of Jesus to depart if it was not
from Jesus in truth.  Mary quietly accepted this and other tests for the
sake of people to gain confidence in her.   She has declared many times,
in no uncertain terms, that she is here serving Jesus, THE Jesus, and the will
of Almighty God.
I invite you to test yourself, not only Mary, but all who claim to love Jesus.
I for one, will forever answer you, Blessed and Loved be Jesus.

	Anyway, forgive my letter from getting long.  I do intend on continuing
to post the messages as long as they are given, and I hope this does not offend
you.  I sincerely believe there are those individuals out there on the net
that need to see them, indeed, they are given to be spread over the whole 
world by every means possible.   God is real, God is alive, God's Word is
in the Bible, and God's Holy Spirit is working in the world today, as we speak!
God's Kingdom is coming, and near!  This is the time for John the Baptist's cry:
"Make straight the path for the coming of the Lord!".


Sincerely, In Christ

Greg Shay