| I would like to introduce myself
Dear Brothers and Sisters, I just want to indtruce myself:
I am writing to You from Italy. I am now 28 years old: I am a teacher in Secondary School and I have a PhD in History; I have grown up as a Roman Catholic but suddenly the great Grace of God has shot and deranged me. At first I was afraid of guiltiness and sin and I wasn't able to have spiritual comfort through good works and the Roman auricolar "confession", but then our Lord opened to me His very Gospel and through His Word told me the truth. As You can see, my experience is similar to Luther's one because also in my case it was the reading of the Epistle to the Romans that deranged me. Then I have read the classics of the Reformation and I have understood which is the way God is saving the people He has chosen (eternal thanks to Him!). I have understood that Almighty God is now calling me for starting again a new life in Him and with Him: He is now teaching me through the Holy Scripture (His very Word without any error) and through the words of our fathers in Faith whose teachings are founded over the Bible (eg Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, Spurgeon). But I know this new regenerated life couldn't be complete without a community where I can praise our Lord and partecipate to His Supper together with my fellow Christian brethren. And this is the very problem! You of course know how sad is the religious situation here in Italy. All people in my town is Roman Catholic, but I can't go to Roman Catholic churches anymore, because I recognize that they are awfully tainted by heretical and empious Pelagianism! Of course you understand what I am referring to.
The choice is among:
1) The local Lutheran-Reformed-Waldensian-Methodist "network church". The church is a very liberal one. There are female ministers. They don't believe in Bible inerrancy.
2) The local Anglican parish (Diocese of Gibiltrar): in communion with Canterbury. The service is in English for English immigrates. The parish is a "broad church", liberal one.
3) Some Evangelical Pentecostal churches. They are Arminian and I don't agree with charismatic heresy. In particular they broadcast and hear sermons by Benny Hinn and other American preachers who became famous also here through TBNE.
4) The Roman Catholic Church, from which I come. Here the Romans are the most conservative ones but I am not willing to support Roman pelagian theology any more, nor the doctrine of papacy.
5) Wait and pray God to give someone the mission to build a real reformed church (episcopal or presbyterian) in my region. I underline, by the way, that I am in going to move in another region (with no reformed church, neither baptist) in a year.
I have asked for an help to the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in America: I'm still waiting for the answer from them: I keep on praying and hoping.
I am now writing to you asking for any advise in the name of God. Plase help me: what you would do if you were in my sad situation??
The saddest thing is that I have no-one I can share my Faith and my spiritual questions/problems with in real life. No-one in my town knows what is God's election, or what is a Confession of faith. I have to read in English all the info about doctrine. No elders, no preachers, not even a woman, not even a christian friend. I have discovered the wonderful world of Internet not much time ago and I has been useful to find christian brothers in Italy and abroad, but I am a little afraid about this mean for true relations - according to God's plan - have to happen only in real life.
I am praying our Lord for giving me a sign about what I have to do. For the moment, I go on reading the Bible and the texts of our fathers, but - as for the congregation - I can't have a church where true Gospel is preached. I have my Bible (Nuova Riveduta), published in Italian by Genève Biblical Society: I also can read New Testament in Greek and sometimes I do; at last I have got other books for spiritual learning both in Italian and English. I would also like to listen to some sermons from your awesome English/American preachers (I prefer them in British English because it's very difficult to me to understand American spoken English).
I am a Reformed christian and I believe and confess with all my heart:
The Apostolic, Nicene and Athanasian Creeds.
The Westminster Confession of Faith, which is the best confession of Faith ever made (second only to the Bible).
The five Sola: sola gratia, sola fides, sola scriptura, solus Christus, soli Deo gloria.
The TULIP and Canons of Dodrecht.
Thank You very much for Your attention.
May our Lord bless You in Your ministry, work, family and the whole life.
Davide
PS:
Sorry for my bad English... I never studied it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Last edited by sola_grazia; 04-05-2008 at 06:06 PM.
|