Apparitions Exposed!

Proclaiming the Gospel ^ | former Director for a "Mary, Queen of Peace Center."

[bkaycee]

Can a born again Christian be a member of a cult and be involved in idol worship? I once thought this was an impossibility until it happened to me. Now I understand why Jesus warned us that, in the end times, there would be an appearance of great signs and miracles that would deceive even the elect, if possible. I confess I have been seduced by signs and miracles associated with apparitions of Mary, and I offer my testimony so others may be warned and delivered.

Until recently I was serving as Director of Public Relations for the Queen of Peace Center in Dallas, Texas. This non-profit organization disseminates information and messages from Marian apparitions in Medjugorje and around the world. I co-authored a full page ad that was published in the June 25, 1993, Dallas Morning News at a cost of $10,000. This add announced "Mary's" prescription for peace and listed locations of her recent appearances. It also listed phone numbers to call for up-to-day recorded messages of Mary's latest apparitions, such as the one in Dallas (214) 233-MARY. I once thought it was special to be the only non-Catholic on the Queen of Peace board . . . that is, until I met Mike Gendron and his wife, Jane.

A Divine Appointment

Neighbors and close friends of mine knew I was seriously contemplating becoming Roman Catholic. They told me that Mike had been a Roman Catholic for 37 years and was now a pastor at a non-denominational church in the Dallas area. They said he understood many of the issues involved in being Roman Catholic and could help me with my decision. I looked forward to meeting both Mike and his wife, not for my sake, but for theirs. I felt certain the information I had collected about "Our Lady's apparitions" in Medjugorje would surely lead them back home to the "true" (Roman Catholic) church. Providentially it appeared, I attended a Queen of Peace board meeting the night before we met and asked the board to pray for this lost pastor and his wife, who had fallen away. When I arrived at their door the next morning, I first introduced myself, before returning to my car for the large stack of books and newspapers I had brought to persuade them. The materials would help explain what was happening in Medjugorje and how the Virgin Mary would help change their lives.

Confronted by Contradictions

After we met, they showed me a film titled Catholicism: Crisis of Faith. This film lovingly and objectively contrasted how the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church contradicts the teachings of the Sacred Scriptures. Mike would stop the film after each segment for my questions and comments. Initially, I was argumentative and felt uneasy and rather adamant about what I was witnessing. Mike realized he had forgotten to pray before starting the film and asked if we could ask God to make His truth clear, and that all deception would be exposed. After the prayer my whole countenance changed.

Each question I asked, Mike validated his answers using Vatican II documents and an official Roman Catholic catechism. It was amazing to me how Roman Catholic teaching contradicts the very Word of God. Question after question, he would bring the Bible over to me and knell to show me verses in context. His servant's demeanor and patient, understanding heart helped in unraveling falsehood after falsehood. There wasn't a question I could have asked him that would have provoked anger. As a reflection of our Lord, this man allowed Jesus to pull the scales away from my eyes.

There were three things in the film and our discussion that were most alarming to me. First, a church in South America has Mary placed on a crucifix rather than Christ. It reminded me of my visit to Our Lady of Guadeloupe Cathedral in downtown Dallas where Mary is positioned as the focal point at the alter and the crucifix is placed in another part of the church. These two scenes made me realize idolatry is practiced within the church.

Second, the Roman Catholic Catechism by Rev. William Cogan, now in its 44th year of print, has altered the 10 commandments of God. The 2nd commandment given to Moses reads, "You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or in the earth beneath or in the water under the earth" (Exodus 20:4). The Roman Catholics have deleted this commandment but still came up with ten by splitting the 10th one into two separate commands. "You shall not covet your neighbor's good; and you shall not covet your neighbor's wife" (Exodus 20:17). I was reminded of the scriptural warnings for those who add to or subtract from the Bible.

Third, Mike told me the only place in the Bible in which the queen of heaven was referred to was in the Book of Jeremiah. He encouraged me to study the passage and it would expose another false doctrine concerning Mary. Anyone who is familiar with the prayers and meditations of the rosary can tell you that in one of the mysteries Christ supposedly crowned Mary the queen of heaven after she was assumed into heaven. Neither of these events have scriptural validity, but I had decided to blindly accept these doctrines because all of the other meditations on the life of Christ were verified by Scripture.

The Queen of Heaven

After returning home, I looked in the Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible for the passage in Jeremiah 44. Here, the Lord was angered by the wickedness of the people choosing to serve other gods. The people refused to listen to the Lord. Instead, they would "burn sacrifices to the Queen of Heaven and pour out libations to her." The woman "made for her sacrificial cakes in her image and poured out libations to her?" (Jeremiah 44:17, 19).

In Hebrew the word for queen has reference to "the heavenly handiwork" or "the stars of heaven." The reference might be to Ishtar, the goddess of love and fertility, who is identified with the Venus Star and is actually entitled "Mistress of Heaven." (The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, p. 975)

My head was spinning and filled with questions after reading this. Doesn't Mary usually appear with stars for her crown? Who then is the woman in Revelation 12:3-6? And most importantly, why would the Roman Catholic Church give the mother of Jesus the title of a pagan goddess? Had I been promoting the ministry of a pagan goddess whose messages were inconsistent with the Bible? Indeed her messages do contradict the Bible. In fact, she speaks of another gospel, another plan of salvation that nullifies and opposes the all sufficient sacrifice of Jesus. The apparition of Fatima said, "You have seen Hell where the souls of poor sinners go, so save them, God wishes to establish in the world, devotion to my Immaculate Heart." The apostle Paul condemned anyone, even an angel from heaven, who would dare preach a different way to be saved other than through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ (Galatians 1:6-10).

As for the woman described in Revelation, she is not Mary, the mother of Jesus, but God's chosen people, the Jews. When the passage in chapter 12 is read in context with the rest of the book, and Genesis 37:9-10, this clearly refers to the nation Israel. God fulfills His promise to the Jews, by protecting them in the desert during 3 1/2 years of tribulation.

I later realized my prayers to Mary and the saints, the reciting of rosaries and chaplets of divine mercy, and the wearing of Marian medals and scapulars had taken my focus off of Jesus. I had allowed doctrines of the Roman Catholic church to do the very thing Saint Paul warned against, "But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ." (2 Cor. 11:3).

An Angel of Light

Recently, a person whom I love dearly, and who has a "Marian devotion" asked me, "Why are you bothering the people who are already good people instead of worrying about those who are lost?" The answer came to me the other evening as the Lord continues to guide me through His sacred Word. Saint Paul wrote that "Satan masquerades as an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14). We know the mother of Jesus would never oppose her Son, and since the apparitions do just that, they could very well be Satan masquerading as Mary. Saint Paul also wrote, "Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them . . . everything exposed by the light becomes visible" (Ephesians 5:11-14). Therefore, I feel called to expose these attempts by the evil one to divert people's devotion away from Jesus. The most authoritative way to do this is with the light of God's Holy Word. My new test for truthfulness is -- if it does not agree with the Scriptures then it must be rejected.

Freedom in the Truth

Now that I have torn down the altar in my bedroom, where I knelt and prayed to St. Anthony of Padua each night, and now that I have placed my rosaries, scapular and medals away, I have found a new freedom. The truth really does set people free! I have found special peace in knowing Jesus alone is my Savior, and not co-redemptrix with His mother. The Holy Spirit continues to lead me into all truth and is now the only teacher I need (1 John 2:27).

To all my precious friends who I have encouraged to seek Mary and to obey the misleading messages of her apparitions, I pray these Scriptures would minister to you -- "And it came about while He said these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, 'Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts at which you nursed.' But He said, 'On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the Word of God and observe it." (Luke 11:27-28)

This article was submitted by a former Director for a "Mary, Queen of Peace Center."

[Quix]

As I have thought you knew about me . . .

I greatly prefer genuine iron sharpening iron dialogue.

It's difficult to tell that you do given that response to my last, to you.

You seem to be saying . . . that

Proddys

MUST

1.A agree that certain foundational, original facts are indeed facts.

1.B We do NOT so agree. We believe a good chunk of them to be revisionist lies from hell.

. . . that Proddys, per y'all's !!!!DEMANDS!!!! about the FR Rel Forum

2.A MUST agree with amazingly specific [for the RCC] and amazingly consistent [for the RCC] terms, definitions, sequences, processes of dialogue.

2.B We could likely come closer to that . . . but it's not really necessarily the purview of either side to dictate such things.

===========================================

3.B From our Proddy perspective . . . Basic sound logic, reason, genuine dialogue, solid dependable word definitions are all valued by the Proddys I know of on FR.

3.A It is the RCC side that trashes sound logic, reason, genuine dialogue and solid dependable word definitions.

Yet, somehow, rather arrogantly, the RCC side still manages to blame Proddys for sabotaging the dialogue???

Sheesh.

.

[Mad Dawg]

Wait! We’re concerned with the original post? Really?

I knew the word “ejaculatory” used about prayer before I was 20 and 27 years before I became a Catholic.

I have learned a lot from Notwithstanding’s prank. I know the enemy is especially spiteful in Lent and Holy Week, so I won’t write off the RF right away, but it really doesn’t seem that there is much to be gained here — except confirmation of my converting to Catholic Christianity.

The suggestion that Notwithstanding’s prank casts a bad light on Catholics is risible! Remember the original post? Look at what people say about us and our Faith day by day. To try to turn us against Notwithstanding on the ludicrous grounds that he is hurting the esteem the RF non-Catholics have for us won’t work. It might have worked had there been discourse and comity before the prank.

[Notwithstanding]

What are you talking about with “unfortunately”?

Your sect’s goal is to soil the Church.

[Notwithstanding]

I’ll throw a little out to that!

Blessed be the name of Jesus!
Blessed be His most sacred heart!
Blessed be His most precious blood!
Blessed be Jesus, true God and true man.
Blessed be His Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar in all the tabernacles throughout the world.

[WPaCon]

Are you chastising Notwithstanding for being a sects offender? :)

[WPaCon]

The_conscience’s statement is sad, and it’s even more sad that people actually agree with him.

[the_conscience]

The letter of THE LAW kills . . . the Spirit brings life.

Amen to that!

Those involved in the Romanist priestcraft already believe they have the ability to transform a theological virtue into a physical reality in the case of the Eucharist. It doesn't seem too much of a leap for someone involved in the Romanist priestcraft to think that by performing a specific act on an individual that resulted in the desired effect that they were performing the same function as what they believed they were doing in the case of the Eucharist. Yet this other act would be much more psychologically fulfilling since they could see tangible results whereas in the case of the Eucharist it is only an abstraction.

Do you know of any studies being carried out that delve into the psychological nature of those who carry out these acts who are part of the Romanist priestcraft?

[Notwithstanding]

Re FUTILITY:

It is fitting
that God
would ensure
the futility of
your sect’s efforts!

[Notwithstanding]

I believe it is more that some take issue that I am outspoken in my discrimination against sects.

[metmom]

Quix- I’m thinking this goes a long ways to explaining the pedophile problem that exists amongst Romanists. If their theological language is coterminous with sexual language this association can lead to actions in which a person believes that the act in the natural sphere somehow relates to a theological goodness. This would be especially prevalent amongst those involved in priestcraft because they are always working in both spheres.

Aside from that, it reveals why there is no outrage from Catholics about their priest's behavior.

When someone has the base mentality that that kind of play on words is funny, then there's there's just that much less likelihood that they'll see anything wrong with impropriety when done by others.

The sheep will follow the shepherd.

[Running On Empty]

Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water form Christ’s side, wash me
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
O good Jesus, hear me
Within Thy wounds, hide me
Suffer me not to be separated from Thee
From the malicious enemy, defend me
In the hour of my death, call me
And bid me come unto Thee
That I may praise Thee
With Thy saints and with Thy angels
Forever and ever
Amen

—The Anima Christi

[Dr. Eckleburg]

lolol!

[WPaCon]

Posts 1835, 1837 and 1870 are ridiculous and show the delusional ideas some people will talk themselves into believing about the Catholic Church.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

The use of strong language to condemn evils has been a hallmarlk of the RF. Typically such strong language is aimed against my Church.

The difference which is pretty clear to anyone reading this thread is that when Christians criticize the RCC, those criticisms involve the anti-Scriptural beliefs and practices of the RCC, whereas the "strong language" you seem to employ is simply name-calling. There's no core to your argument. No discussion of faith, practices, beliefs, perspectives, ideology, theology, etc.

Just blather.

[2nd amendment mama]

This has been my 1st foray into the Religion Forum and it will be my last. I’ll gladly discuss politics publicly but have no desire to be a part of the juvenile tactics of using “sects” as innuendo, etc. I find it quite distasteful. I’ve never been considered a prude, however, I would NEVER post some of the things that have been posted here in the name of religion!

[Notwithstanding]

Your sect’s perversions are sin of the worst kind.

Such people have sect’s properly described as coterminous with hell.

[Notwithstanding]

Eckelsberg,

It’s pretty clear
to anyone reading this thread
that when the Church
criticizes your sect,
those criticisms decry
your sect’s perversions and
your sect’s practices
and beliefs
that are anti-Scriptural,

whereas the “strong language”
you seem to employ is simply name-calling.

There’s never ever ever ever ever a core to your argument.

No discussion of
your sect’s faith,
your sect’s practices,
your sect’s beliefs,
your sect’s perspectives,
your sect’s ideology,
your sect’s theology,
etc.

There’s hardly even a mention of your sect.
Are you afraid of your sect’s reputation?
Your sect’s history?
Your sect’s incoherence?
Most people are delighted
to share with others
the community that helps
them to experience and know true faith in God.

But with you, all we get is blather.

[Notwithstanding]

“Well, I never!”
quoth the prudish old maid.

[OpusatFR]

“There’s hardly even a mention of your sect.”

That’s because there are hardly any members.

[metmom]

It goes to show the extremes some people will go to to deflect attention from something which makes their religion appear in an unfavorable light.

Sorry that your foray onto the RF should be greeted in such a juvenile fashion.

Those claiming to be Christians should hold themselves to a higher standard of behavior than that. I can’t imagine how anyone who would refer to themselves as a Christian would resort to such vulgar tactics. Christians are supposed to be followers of Christ.

Could you imagine Christ making those kind of innuendos about people and their character? No wonder the non-religious consider religious people hypocrites. Sometimes the world has a better handle on what is appropriate behavior for those who name the name of Christ to behave like than those who make the claim.

There are some prayer threads and devotional threads that are worth checking out and are absolutely off limits to any kind of contention or impropriety.