From: ewanco@MLO.DEC.COM (Eric James Ewanco)
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.christia
Subject: Medjugorje
Date: 14 Oct 92 18:25:15 GMT
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I am glad Elizabeth posted that message on Medjugorje, because she
somewhat inspired me to think about posting something similar here, but
it would have taken me a lot longer.  I would have written it
differently for this audience, but that's OK!

I have just finished a book on Medjugorje by a Protestant, Wayne Weible.
 He is a journalist who began investigating Medjugorje for his
newspaper, and ended up believing the message and coming to a deep faith
in Jesus Christ.  Through his ministry he has even healed people and
received messages from Mary himself.

It is an excellent book . . . I have been investigating Medjugorje with
interest.  I am not one to blindly accept Marian apparitions.  For a
long time I figured they were all Satanic.  I was suspicious of
Medjugorje, and I didn't always like the people who went nuts about it
(mainly because they were usually hard-core devotees to Mary, something
which always bothered me).

But examining the messages, and the fruits of the apparitions, I am
nearly convinced that this is a message from God.

The message she brings is repentance and conversion to her Son.  That's
about it as far as theology -- she urges everyone, the whole world and
people of every faith, to repent of their sin and convert themselves to
Jesus Christ, and to pray.  This is of course no objectionable message
to Protestants!  The apparition has changed many peoples lives and
brought many people to faith in God.

What is interesting is that in the apparitions Mary does not glorify
herself at all, but points all to her Son.  Indeed, when asked if we
should pray to her to Jesus, she replied, "Pray to Jesus; I am here to
intercede for you, however."  Also interesting is that when people ask
the visionaries to seek favors or special signs from her, she simply
asks them to pray and fast -- that is, she encourages people to seek God
not through the apparition, but through simple faith and prayer.  Indeed
one does not need to even go to Medjugorje for miracles to occur.  A
woman was healed of Multiple Sclerosis without even leaving the states.
(This was a very evident miraculous healing, where physical deformities
were straightened and medically impossible healings took place.)  But
what she and the visionaries say are the most significant miracles are
the conversions taking place as a result.  They do not consider the
dancing of the sun viewed by thousands as the most signficant, or the
huge concrete cross on the hill disappearing on cloudless days the most
significant, nor the rosaries turning to gold (as verified by scientific
analysis) as the most signficant, but the conversions to Christ of all
the people.

But she has predicted serious chastisements for the sins of the world.
Indeed the warning of destruction sounds very similar to those given to
Israel in the Old Testament.  She urges all Christians to intercede for
the world and pray for the Lord to relent in his punishments (sound
familiar?) and urges all the pray for the conversion of the world.  But
without a doubt, some of the disasters will take place, and soon.  As
Elizabeth mentioned, there is promised a permanent and unquestionable
sign in Medjugorje.

Without going into details (see Medjgorje: The Message by Wayne Weible
for details), there is absolutely no chance of this being a hoax; the
visionaries certainly have found life difficult after all the attention,
and one can't imagine that a twelve year old boy (the youngest) who used
to fidget during Mass and all of a sudden spends three hours a day in
prayer and doesn't mind, is deceiving people . . . they have also done
medical examinations on the during the apparitions and they are truly in
a trance, and can feel no pain and can be hit or picked up and they
retain their position.

The other alternative is that they are being Satanically deceived.  Yet,
not only does the apparition call for everyone to convert to Christ (and
not even to Catholicism specifically), but she also warns against the
deceptions and evil of Satan, and emphatically assserts his existence
and opposition to God's plan.  She teaches against sin, especially sin
which today is rarely recognized as sin.  People's lives are changing
and they are having faith in Jesus Christ, and praying for repentance.
If this is a Satanic manifestation, he's doing a terrible job and in
eight years has only succeeded in converting an absolutely stunning
number of people to Christ. Besides which, although the Catholic Church
has yet to complete its investigation as to the origin of the
apparitions (and won't until they end, and they won't end until just
before the first secret comes to pass), I have found nothing in them
contrary to the Catholic Christian faith.  (Though no doubt some of you
might judge them heretical based on their content, since she _does_
affirm Catholic doctrines.)

But soon we shall find out, because it won't be long before what is
predicted by the terrible secrets comes to pass.  Corrorboration with
out Catholic prophesies say that most of this should come to pass by the
end of the year 1998, maybe even some of it by 1997.  The chastisements
are very grave; for she says, "After these things come to pass, those
who are left will believe as in ancient times."  Which is good, but she
seems to express much doubt that many people will survive!

But in any case, she has come for all Christians, and calls everyone --
including Christians -- to conversion and greater conversion and a
greater life of holiness.  One can hardly argue with that.

Eric
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