THIS one??
Posted on 03/19/2014 1:32:10 PM PDT by rwa265
If a Protestant looking into the claims of Catholicism were to ask me, “What one book should I read, where I can find a quick answer to any question I have?” I would tell him to read Devin Rose’s new book The Protestant’s Dilemma. I would also recommend this book to Protestant apologists, even those of many years, well-skilled in polemics. It will remind them of the heavy burden of proof they face, and the weakness of their position on point after point. The truth may set them free and bring them home too. (It has happened.)
All this may seem like overstatement — the obligatory praise from one Catholic blogger to another. But it is not.
Consider first the range of issues this book takes up. There are thirty-six chapters, each one on a different topic, from the papacy to sola scriptura, from the canon of the Bible to Purgatory, from confession to Eucharist to infant baptism. If something about the Catholic Church troubles you, this book has the answer. If you think you have found the point on which Catholicism fails, this book will show you why it is one more point upon which Protestantism fails.
Consider also the brevity. The book is just over 200 pages long, which means that Mr. Rose’s answers get to the root of the question without a knot of academic detail. It is harder to do than it might seem. This is the book of a man who has spent a long time studying the questions that divide Protestants and Catholics, and who knows how to present his case in a way that is easy for anyone to understand. At the same time, the book is useful for the professional apologist, for it recalls his mind to the basics.
(Excerpt) Read more at scottericalt.com ...
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come . 43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come , he would have watched , and would not have suffered his house to be broken up . 44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh . 45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing . 47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods . 48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming ; 49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken ; 50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of , 51 And shall cut him asunder , and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
-Matthew 24
1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 While the bridegroom tarried , they all slumbered and slept . 6 And at midnight there was a cry made , Behold , the bridegroom cometh ; go ye out to meet him. 7 Then all those virgins arose , and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out . 9 But the wise answered , saying , Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell , and buy for yourselves. 10 And while they went to buy , the bridegroom came ; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut . 11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying , Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered and said , Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh .
-Matthew 25
Sounds to me like you'd be on the outside where there is much wailing and gnashing of teeth. Better to try to avoid those 'really bad days, sinwise.'
Well, then, Paul is in a whole heap of trouble with Our Lord.
• Romans 1:10 NAS always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you.
• Romans 15:30 NAS Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me,
• 2 Corinthians 1:11 NAS you also joining in helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many.
• Ephesians 1:16 NAS do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers ;
• Philippians 1:19 NAS for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
• Colossians 4:12 NAS Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.
• 1 Thessalonians 1:2 NAS We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers ;
• 1 Timothy 2:1 NAS [A Call to Prayer] First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men,
• 1 Timothy 5:5 NAS Now she who is a widow indeed and who has been left alone, has fixed her hope on God and continues in entreaties and prayers night and day
• 2 Timothy 1:3 NAS I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day,
In these Scriptures, we see Paul praying for others and asking others to pray for him. Hence, it must not be too stupid a thing to do -asking others to pray for you- else Paul is a total idiot. And if Paul can ask someone like me to pray for him to God, I see no reason why I can't ask Jesus' mom to pray for me.
And, of course, lest ye think Paul was the only idiot, then there's James.
• James 5:16 KJV Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed . The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Assuming the woman dubbed by Luke as 'blessed among women' whom all generations shall call 'blessed' fits the bill for righteousness, then Mary would seem to be a wonderful choice to have praying for you.
(Hint: like it or not, I have no doubt she actually IS praying for you, as will I and I hope you do the same for me.)
It DOES make me wonder, if Roman Catholics are SO sure they are in the one, true church and only they are right, why they need to so often post threads like this that bash other Christians and provoke discord? It's like they have to reassure each other as often as they can especially when their view gets creamed in a earlier thread.
Yeah...I think you pretty much nailed it!
Sounds to me like you don't know the difference between a son and a servant.
"A prince, while he is a little child, is presumably as willful and as ignorant as other little children. Sometimes he may be very obedient and teachable and affectionate, and then he is happy and approved. At other times he may be unruly, self-willed, and disobedient, and then he is unhappy, and perhaps is chastised—but he is just as much a prince on the one day as on the other. It may be hoped that, as time goes on, he will learn to bring himself into willing and affectionate subjection to every right way, and then he will be more princely, but not more really a prince. He was born a prince" (C.I.Scofield, Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth).
I don't think Tbpiper imagines that at all! In fact, I agree with him that we have full access to the Throne of Grace through Jesus Christ, our ONE Mediator. Paul's prayers for others and his asking others to pray for him had to do with having a personal investment in the lives and ministries of other brothers and sisters in Christ. Unlike the un-Scriptural idea of praying TO the dead, imagined "saints" or not, this kind of prayer actually works to strengthen our faith and draws us closer to each other, edifying the body of Christ. Sending prayers into the mist towards those we can never know are hearing them really does nothing to encourage our faith IN Christ.
Does God know what we have need of before we even ask for it? Yes, He does. So, prayer is for OUR benefit - to strengthen our faith and trust in our gracious Heavenly Father, who loves us and delights in blessing us. We hardly need a back channel like asking Jesus' mother to nag Him for something He may hold back because He is such a meanie. That is the kind of attitude that results from praying to dead people for favors. THEY get the glory if or when something happens, instead of God, to whom belongs ALL glory, honor and praise. No human deserves what belongs to God alone!
So what happens to you when you are in a wreck and die? Do you really have any idea whether God has forgiven your sins or not?
“Many are called; few are chosen>”
At least when I go to Confession, I know my sins are forgiven and I know God has forgotten them too.
Not only do we have full access, but we have a command to seek God's help for one another. NOWHERE are we told to pray to dead people to gain the ear of Christ, our ONLY Mediator!
James 5: 13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
19 My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
Hebrews 7: ... 23 Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24 but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
26 Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever. ..
11: 1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for. ...
**when I have a question about what the Bible says, I ask the Holy Spirit.’**
LOL! Good answer! That’s exactly what has happened in the Catholic Church.
Do you have this verse in your Bible: Matthew 18:19 "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.
I was thinking something very similar when I saw your post. They are merely heaping coals on themselves. Eventually they will have to answer for every un-Christian comment they make.
“Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth...”
Mary ain’t on earth.
Do you know the difference between praying “for” and praying “to”?
THE CATHOLIC's DILEMMA BY History: A REFRESHING
Pope Stephen VI (896–897), who had his predecessor Pope Formosus exhumed, tried, de-fingered, briefly reburied, and thrown in the Tiber.[1]
Pope John XII (955–964), who gave land to a mistress, murdered several people, and was killed by a man who caught him in bed with his wife.
Pope Benedict IX (1032–1044, 1045, 1047–1048), who "sold" the Papacy
Pope Boniface VIII (1294–1303), who is lampooned in Dante's Divine Comedy
Pope Urban VI (1378–1389), who complained that he did not hear enough screaming when Cardinals who had conspired against him were tortured.[2]
Pope Alexander VI (1492–1503), a Borgia, who was guilty of nepotism and whose unattended corpse swelled until it could barely fit in a coffin.[3]
Pope Leo X (1513–1521), a spendthrift member of the Medici family who once spent 1/7 of his predecessors' reserves on a single ceremony[4]
Pope Clement VII (1523–1534), also a Medici, whose power-politicking with France, Spain, and Germany got Rome sacked.
THIS one??
Oh?
How will it end up ANY different from the HUNDREDs just like it that have appeared in the past?
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