Maltese Falcon

#663

Malta is located in the Mediterranean Sea, north of Tunisia and south of Sicily. With a population of less than half a million. Like most Mediterranean islands, a place of pastoral beauty. The thing I remember most about Malta, arriving by plane and leaving by ship all the doors on the homes have a unique door knocker.

Malta is best know because the Apostle Paul was ship wrecked there. In 1930, Dashiell Hammett, one of the world's great authors wrote a detective story entitled “Maltese Falcon” The story involves Sam Spade, renowned detective, the detective by which all others are compared, and his experiences on Malta. Since then, movies have been made involving the island.

Malta has come into the news recently with the expose of pedophilia among Catholic priest. Pope Benedict XVI went there last week to quail the storm of antagonism towards Catholicism and to show interest in those affected. St. Malachy (1094 - November 2, 1148), first Irish saint to be canonized, prophesied about the 112 popes of history. Pope Benedict is the 111th pope. St. Malachy had prophesied concerning the 111th pope and an olive branch. It seems the prophecy is correct because the symbol for the Benedictine order of priest is the olive.

A recent lawsuit has unearthed files about 200 deaf boys molested by a Catholic priest in Wisconsin. News reports state that the Bishops had warned the Vatican about this problem. Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI and other Catholic officials tussle over whether the priest in charge should be disciplined or the church protected.

Similar reports have surfaced involving a school for the blind and the pedophilia and molestation by priest in England. Reports have come to the attention of the public from Ireland, Germany, Italy, and France. Like the Apostle Paul, on a ship in the Mediterranean, wrecked on Malta, the Pope and the Catholic Church are wrecked by these reports. Perhaps, on Malta, the Pope, like Paul, will show his ability to be a shepard of the flock.

In this time, in history, when the church, when Christianity is so defiled by the world, the flesh, the devil, it is more important than ever that the Pope, the largest denomination in the world which he represents draws upon the “Pray Power” of Christians around the world to put a hedge of protection around the faith once delivered to the saints. Don't depend on the New York Times or the secular press to defend God's mission for the Christian church or its followers. Without God, you can not know God. Those who know God, know there has always been imposters in the ranks. Jesus had 12 disciples, one of those betrayed him for the price of a hog (20 pieces of silver) With the exception of his mother, one devoted disciple (John the Evangelist) and a few others, all fled at his crucifixion. In 40 A.D., there was few “faithers” around the Mediterranean Sea. Paul was sent to preach to the Gentiles. For those that do not believe in God, the greatest evidence of God's power is the way his church and mission has grown, in spite of Satan, The imposters, even in the church, around the world. There are about 50,000 catholic priest in the catholic church, only a small percentage have been accused of anything. From the beginning, some priest, even popes married but most have been celibate. We know that some priests, like doctors, lawyers, farmers, etc... have not been sexually pure. Even some bishops, popes, and even saints have probably been impure but, God has the power to cleanse all of us from all unrighteousness. Like Naman, we must have the faith to believe in his omnipotence. (2nd Kings 5:11)

We don't need a Maltese Falcon detective, Sam Spade, the New York Times, or anyone else, to tell any believer that unbelievers can always point out hypocrisy. Unbelievers recognize hypocrisy more than they recognize anything else. Unbelievers will never tell anyone, particularly each other about the good that the Catholic church or any other Christian church has done in the world. Think of the universities, hospitals, children's homes, benevolence of every type taken on and carried out by Christians. When was the last time you saw any Atheist group doing anything for anyone? How many Atheist groups went to Haiti after the earthquake... How much money did they give? It is the God inspired, faith groups, around the world, who are always in the forefront. Even though many in the ranks are not perfect, many in the ranks try to hold onto the world with one hand, Christ with the other.

One museum in Florence Italy contains one station, the magnificence of the statue of David by Michelangelo. The most preached, memorized scriptures in God's Word comes from the Psalms of David. David was the first “pizza delivery boy” The Israelites were in battle against the Philistines and the giant, Goliath. The young boy David, son of Jessie, future King of Israel, father of Solomon, went to the front lines to deliver cheese to his brothers. There, the young boy volunteered to go up against Goliath. The nine foot tall giant who had the Israel army cringing in fear. King Sal, chosen king because of his tallness reluctant for David to do anything... “Why shouldn't this young boy go back home?” Sal, seeking to appease the boy, offered to let him use his armor against Goliath. We can realize David's problems with armor of such a tall man. Rather, David using the weapons he knew best, a sling and some stones, felled the giant and with the giants own sword cut off his head. A recommendation to Pope Benedict, the Catholic church, the Christian church and all denominations around the world. There are tall, well financed giants of Atheism waiting and wanting to defy God's church and God's power. Use the weapons with which we are familiar. The weapons on which history through promises and prophecy has taught us are reliable faithfulness, integrity, holiness. We can be giant killers through the greatest power the world has ever known, the very power that put the universe into place, the very power that raised Jesus from the dead, the very power that enabled Jesus to feed thousands from a small boys lunch, Peter to raise a cripple laying at the temple gates for 40 years, the power that has brought Jews back to Israel from all over the world and made this, God's evidence of history the dominate force in all world political activity. Even the “Maltese Falcon” detective could comprehend this. The power of prayer will change anything we know what sex can do, we know what armies can do, we know what the church can do, it is time for us to use our greatest force for good, the power of prayer then we have what God can do.