Holy New Martyr Alexander of Thessalonica (1794)

[holy...@wondering.com]

Holy New Martyr Alexander of Thessalonica (1794)

He was born in Thessalonica and, though baptised a Christian, he accepted
Islam as a young man, eventually becoming a Sufi (one of a mystical sect
among the Muslims).

But in time he began to repent, and concluded that martyrdom was the only
way for him to cleanse himself from the stain of his denial of Christ.
Having repented, he presented himself to the Turks dressed as a Christian.
He was thrown into prison and tortured, but in response to every
enticement, threat or torment, he would only say 'I was born a Christian,
and as a Christian I shall die.' Finally he was sentenced to death, which
Alexander joyfully accepted as a sign of God's forgiveness. He was slain by
the sword in Smyrna in 1794.

[Redeemed Clay]

notice the daily worship of the dead via hearsay religion... if it wasn't for the dead they worship
they would have no religion at all.

here we have a character who claimed to be ' Christian, ' converted to Islam... a thing the elect
could never do... then converts back to ' Christianity. ' Christianity, in the religion of
Orthodoxy and Catholicism and their splinter religions, means idol worship... these people have no
ability to think for themselves, which is a human trait endowed by God, but rather, follow the crowd
in the worship of the dead.

they are necromancers according to the Word of God, De.18 for example, digging up graves of the dead
they worship and actually asking their bones and artifacts for spiritual help. this is not what
redemption is ever remotely about. the elect are taught by God out of His Word, the Bible, exactly
how the Living God fill their lives so that no heathen traits are to be associated with the religion
God Himself teaches.

there is therefore an obvious uncrossable gap between the living and the dead as we read in Lk.16.
the people worshipers are on their side while the elect are on their side. the elect are new
creations in Christ while the non-elect can only pretend salvation... after all... look at all they
talk about... dead people.

[holy...@wondering.com]

My friend joe thinks that there can be no connection between the church of
those who have passed and are alive with the Lord and the church of those
still here. He thinks that if we request those alive in Christ pray for us
like someone standing next to us is in vain because there is no
communication.

He suggests:

"there is therefore an obvious uncrossable gap between the living and the
dead as we read in Lk.16."

This is the parable of the poor man Laz'arus, and the rich man who die.
The former going to Abraham's bosom. and the latter to hades.

While seperate in their places in the after life there is communication
between them,ie. Laz'arus, and the rich man and Abraham. That is a core
part of the parable.

If anything this is the exact oppisite for my friend joe's claims about a
gap of being able to communicate. There is a gap of place but not of
communication.

Thus we in the church now alive who ask those in the church alive in Christ
to pray for us, this Luke poses no problem at all. It encourages us to
think our request is being heard.

May God bless and protect.