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An OPC Pastor Enters the Catholic Church
Called to Communion ^ | Feb 7th, 2012 | Jason Stewart

Posted on 06/21/2014 1:28:22 AM PDT by Al Hitan

Let me begin this conclusion by ending at the beginning: My wife Cindy and I entered into full communion with the Catholic Church because we came to see that this Church is the Church established by Jesus Christ. We came to this realization in large measure by spending time in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, reading other positive presentations of Catholic teaching, and speaking with flesh and blood Catholics in all walks of life and vocations. The many misconceptions we had about what Catholics believed were cleared away as we dug deeply into the teaching resources of the Catholic Church and talked with actual Catholics. We began to recognize that all the Church taught and claimed was verified and confirmed in the Bible, by history, and in the lives of the saints. Over time we came to understand that the Catholic Church represents the fullness of what Christ wanted to reveal to his people; that it possesses all the gifts that our Lord wanted us to have; and that the Church in its liturgy, its apostolic teaching, the Eucharist, the sacraments, and its saints, serves as the definitive place where God’s grace is on full offer. The reason being — it is the Church of Jesus Christ most fully and rightly ordered through time. Yes, unquestionably a profound claim. But it is the one made by the Catholic Church in all ages, and it is the claim we have come to accept.

This is your invitation to test and see. I assure you that there is no lack of evidences for her divine origin. Such are openly verifiable and abundant. One need only the willingness to discern them. Whatever my personal story may be, the proof of the Catholic Church’s divine origin resides in the realm of history. The evidences are public, out there for you to examine. You are not at the mercy of my personal judgments concerning this claim about the Catholic Church. Instead you are free to investigate the facts of the Church’s perduring existence, her miraculous life, her divine teachings, the abiding fruit of her mission in the world from the time of Christ even down to our present day. The clues are all there; they await you. You need only begin to pursue them.


TOPICS: Catholic; Mainline Protestant; Theology
KEYWORDS: calvinism; catholic; conversion; opc; orthodoxpresbyterian; presbyterian
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To: GreyFriar

** what will he do regarding his “call to the ministry?” **

Many married men are grandfathered in to the priesthood after going back to school for a couple years. It’s up to him.

If his wife dies, however, and he has been ordained a Catholic priest, he cannot remarry.


61 posted on 06/21/2014 8:34:46 AM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: GreyFriar
And still be married?

Yes. Dispensations have been granted in some cases for those who have already functioned as ministers before joining the Latin rite of the Church.

62 posted on 06/21/2014 8:47:38 AM PDT by Al Hitan
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To: Al Hitan

Thank you for the information.


63 posted on 06/21/2014 8:49:42 AM PDT by GreyFriar (Spearhead - 3rd Armored Division 75-78 & 83-87)
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To: Salvation

“If his wife dies, however, and he has been ordained a Catholic priest, he cannot remarry.”

Thank you. That ‘qualifier’ makes sense to me.


64 posted on 06/21/2014 8:51:07 AM PDT by GreyFriar (Spearhead - 3rd Armored Division 75-78 & 83-87)
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To: verga

I use the scriptural, biblical calendar....

The one where the sun, moon and stars is used, just as He gave us in Genesis.. the template that is in Ezekiel 46:1 and found specifically in the Word that became flesh who fulfills the set times and appointed times perfectly..

The one given to Israel as shadows and rehearsals for their coming king and kingdom... but they have abandoned it for their own calculated one for two months and the pope’s calendar the rest of the time...

The one with set times/appointed times, detailed in scripture , as new moons, Sabbaths(His) and feasts(His) -
all of those that fit perfectly into the Messiah’s birth, circumcision,dedication, baptism, death, burial and resurrection if one knows His calendar..
(All those events of the Messiah happened on either a new moon, sabbath and feast- what church teaches those?)

All found in the Holy bible.some hinted at but they are there....and those set times make december 25 and easter look like ridiculous counterfeits..

His calendar numbers days and months, not names them after other gods and goddesses and created things...

Today, is the 23rd day of His 2nd month, Yesterday was His seventh day Sabbath..
On the pope’s calendar sun’s day this week, is a work day- But on our Heavenly Father’s calendar, it is a work day..for most of Christendom, it is their holy sabbath..

But again, we are told times and laws would change- Daniel 7:25

His calendar isn’t used by the world’s businesses, governments or religions.. uniting the world...
Makes it a real hard choice to chose to ‘come out of her my people’ for those neck deep the world and its systems..

but, HalleluYah I am free!


65 posted on 06/21/2014 8:58:50 AM PDT by delchiante
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To: Cap Huff
As far as I know, neither the OPC nor the PCA have come anywhere near the issue of homosexual “marriage.”

Key word missing is YET. It is only a matter of time.

66 posted on 06/21/2014 9:23:36 AM PDT by verga (Conservative, leaning libertarian)
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To: Iscool

IMHO what Mother Theresa was experiencing was separation from God. God often gives souls who are sincerely searching a relationship with Him moments of union and love and then sometimes years of feeling separation. This increases the longing for Him. Her admitting this in her book is very possibly due to her humility. She didn’t consider herself a great saint or anything of that nature.

Consider the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector, the Pharisee considered himself a very holy person, and the tax collector beat on his chest in lamentation that he was a sinner, and begged God for mercy.


67 posted on 06/21/2014 9:24:04 AM PDT by little jeremiah (Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point. CSLewis)
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To: Salvation

But I do not lump all Catholics together.

I would not wish here to get into a long conversation about doctrine and practice, but I have come to realize that there is a tension between orthodoxy and orthopraxis. That tension finds some resolution in right relationship. This right relationship with Christ is found in many people from a wide range of denominational brands.

While I could not subscribe to the particulars of doctrine, I recognize that relationally, there are many brothers and sisters in Christ within the Catholic Church. I would hope that they recognize the same in me.


68 posted on 06/21/2014 9:27:01 AM PDT by Cap Huff
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To: ladyL

Relationship is with Jesus, but you do need the followship of other believers as well.


69 posted on 06/21/2014 9:27:06 AM PDT by Biggirl (“Go, do not be afraid, and serve”-Pope Francis)
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To: GreyFriar; delchiante
Verga: The reference is to the liturgical calendar for reading of scriptures, Holy days of the church which are celebrated by both Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Christians.

Since mind reading is against the rules, I can only go by what he wrote. If he meant liturgical he needs to be more clear in his posts.

70 posted on 06/21/2014 9:28:16 AM PDT by verga (Conservative, leaning libertarian)
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To: Al Hitan

Don’t tell me . . . will this be on the test???

Seriously, thanks for the chart. I’m going to keep a copy of it for reference.


71 posted on 06/21/2014 9:30:28 AM PDT by Cap Huff
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To: Iscool
I found the Catholic religion to be a massive fraud...

He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

John12:40

72 posted on 06/21/2014 9:31:08 AM PDT by Al Hitan
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To: Al Hitan

Git yeer program here.
Git yeer program, can’t tell the players with out a program.


73 posted on 06/21/2014 9:32:02 AM PDT by verga (Conservative, leaning libertarian)
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To: verga

Sadly, it is likely that there will eventually be a splitting off in many, many evangelical denominations, particularly when the political and social pressure builds.

The Lord preserves His true people even in times of great apostasy. He will do so again. There will be a remnant.


74 posted on 06/21/2014 9:34:16 AM PDT by Cap Huff
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To: delchiante

B.S. every one uses the Julian.


75 posted on 06/21/2014 9:34:47 AM PDT by verga (Conservative, leaning libertarian)
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To: Al Hitan

Thanks for posting this.


76 posted on 06/21/2014 9:36:37 AM PDT by ReformationFan
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To: vladimir998

The OPC worships the pope’s calendar, called the Gregorian calendar.

They are not alone as the world of business, politics/governments and the major religions (christianity, jew, muslim) use it too to run their lives..

This pope calendar is used to define a work day, a holy day(holiday) and a sabbath- not just for Christianity but Jews and the secular humanists as well (Muslims are a little different as they don’t have a ‘day’ per se but Friday is ‘sabbath’ of sorts)

Study the pope Gregory calendar and research the names of the week and the names of the months and see if you can find the gods and goddesses and creations that are given their own ‘day’ or their very own ‘month’..

What you know of ‘time’ or a calendar is not taught from scripture, because on His calendar, days are numbered, not named....

The pope calendar is a solar only calendar that ignores the scriptures. it is not unlike the ancient sun worshippers..just because it I on your smarphne doesn’t make us more intelligent than those wisemen who could study His creation and know the signs...

Scripture tells us He gave us the sun, moon and stars for signs, seasons, days, years..

Our Heavenly Father has a calendar.. and It is in Scripture and His set times were perfectly fulfilled by the Word that became flesh...

And instead of using scripture, the daughters churches have adopted their mother’s timekeeping and holy days like december 25 and easter, which resemble sun worship traditions in the ancient world, and not His timekeeping or His word..

The war for worship is ancient and precedes the pope’s calendar- that is just the latest..

I use the words ‘pope’s calendar’ for emphasis... it is a hint to reformers that maybe they are not that different in doctrine and worship practices as they should be considering my study bible of 1599 made no bones about who the Antichrist is...

The daughers have softened their position since then.

the daughters are really closer to their mother more than they realize..

And for me, I observe His calendar.. and if one studies it, it is genuine.. and folks study the genuine to be able to spot the counterfeit..

They don’t just study the counterfeits.. and the pope’s calendar is a counterfeit...

And your entire life is run by it... today is Saturn’s day.,. Yesterday was His Sabbath., thinking most of the world was either working or playing,., tomorrow is a work day on His calendar..

Funny thing is, with His Sabbath, even muslims stumble on it from time to time as the pope’s calendar floats around His timekeeping..
And jews and christians will stumble on it for a time too..

But only one of those three declare the Word became flesh...

One thing for sure- His mercy and grace is needed more than any of us know..

This is not something you stumble into.. He has to lead you to it..

Ask, seek and knock and be prepared for learning and unlearning stuff you won’t hear on a Sun’s day in your average church...

He drew me away from the OPC church- and closer to Him.. not to another daughter or the mother church...

How cool should it be for a believer to know His actual birthday and know it when it passes on His calendar?
And know that it is hinted at in scripture and one need not guess or accept the churches teaching on an arbitrary day?

And from there, we can know every major life event He had here-circumcision, dedication, baptism, death, burial , resurrection(not easter)...

Maybe those aren’t important to the church.. but I suspect those would be things a bride may be interested in knowing about her bridegroom...


77 posted on 06/21/2014 9:48:06 AM PDT by delchiante
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To: delchiante

“The OPC worships the pope’s calendar, called the Gregorian calendar.”

Please post examples of Presbyterians worshipping the Gregorian calendar.

Also, please answer the simple question I asked: What calendar do you use?


78 posted on 06/21/2014 9:52:41 AM PDT by vladimir998
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To: Iscool

How many pages?


79 posted on 06/21/2014 9:52:49 AM PDT by SumProVita (Cogito, ergo....Sum Pro Vita - Modified Descartes)
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To: verga

Today is the 23rd day of His 2nd month. it is the first work day after His seventh Day Sabbath..

I observed His sabbath yesterday.. His calendar is written in the biggest wall Calendar you can find- His sky.. and I isn’t on our walls or smart phones..

And it is in Scripture..given to Israel.. and abandoned...

Even Jews today use the pope’s calendar., they try to deviate a couple months in their year and get ‘all scriptural’ for their feast months- but even those feasts have postponement and suspension rules when they bump up against their weekly pope calendar sabbath...

The Gregorian is a perfect sun based calendar for those who like the world’s system...

We are called to to not conform to the world..

And His calendar and timekeeping is an option... and when one can actually see the set times and appointed times fulfilled by the Messiah, it makes those arbitrary holy days of december 25 and easter as fakes..

His resurrection was a pope calendar Frigg’s/Freya’s day (Friday) last month based on the sun, moon and stars...

A month after the mother and daughter churches did.. but they use the sun as their guide...
Not all He gave us...
The Julian was a calculated calendar too.. the Pope calendar is just the latest solar based calendar...

That’s why those steeples and obelisks are so prevalent with the mothers and daughters- ancient sun worship...sun’s day is the holiest day on the pope’s calendar after all..


80 posted on 06/21/2014 10:04:36 AM PDT by delchiante
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