Becoming Catholic

OSV.com ^ | 03-28-19 | Msgr. Charles Pope

[GBA]

If the SDA and everyone else live a healthy lifestyle, then we WILL do better health wise and we WILL live longer.

The information you seek in support of those claims might be found here:

Loma Linda University

The radio program I listen to here in the Charlotte area on 870AM from 9-9:30 is called “CHIP Healthy by Choice” with host Charles Mills. Good stuff!

If you’re interested, more information about the program can be found online. Here is one site:

CHIP: Healthy for a Lifetime

As background, I became interested in “food as medicine” a few years ago when my dogs began to develop health issues. Their health and mine improved when I put what I learned into practice.

Last summer the vets discovered a tumor in my girl’s nasal cavity and I have been learning about it and other diseases and how God has given us what we need to beat such things with our diet and lifestyle choices.

For example, Cancer Tutor is non-religious website that has been extremely helpful.

And, if you are truly interested in better health and longevity, you will be happy to discover the CHIP health program, which puts into practical use the knowledge God has given us.

That program can be found here:

Complete Health Improvement Program

[GBA]

Yes, I have been lucky and blessed to have known some amazingly bright, though often unassuming, people. The Random Swan Factor was one of many such oracles.

[GBA]

The details of His story are still being written.

But, yes, these times we’re living in, and what is and Who is to come, have been spoken of in the OT and New.

As one who wanders, I like maps. And though I am often lost among the lost, I like knowing where I am.

As hobbies go? Once I truly believed the Bible is real, trying to figure out where we are in the story we were born into became an irresistible hobby for me.

The world made no sense until after 9/11 when the book The Harbinger gave me a better pair of starter goggles to “see” it with.

And then, for me, the messages in True Life In God have been the Godsend it claims to be.

Now? No worries...! God’s got this.

[GBA]

“But, how many of them have a SAVIOR?”

I don’t know. How many will say: “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works?”

I have no idea how many or who they are, but even though I don’t fully understand His answer, we know what He will say in response, right?

These are unuaual times. We are bold and arrogant in our indifference towards Him and we can be equally creative making Him look just like us.

And many feel justified in waging war against brethren for having Biblical eye splinters, when their own vision is just as scaly? I wonder if these among those He doesn’t know?

[GBA]

Fwiw, here is a thoughtful and fully Protestant answer to the question, “Should our day of worship be Saturday or Sunday?”

From Sabbath to Sunday

I offer this “as is” and, as with all things, “Your mileage may vary”.

[rbmillerjr]

“Lots of words there to simply paraphrase what has been known for centuries:”

Thanks to the Christ’s Church. The Catholic Church. As Christ promised in Scripture....

“hell will not prevail against it”...
“...eat this...”

HAPPY EASTER...HE IS RISEN !!

[af_vet_1981]

Watch and pray for salvific understanding.

May everyone watch and pray for salvific understanding.

• Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
• For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.
• Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
• Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
• And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

Mark, Catholic chapter thirteen, Protestant verses thirty three to thirty seven,
as authorized, but not authored, by King James

[MHGinTN]

Typical Catholic snark, and on Easter to boot!

[imardmd1]

The time that one is saved is when he/she becomes convinced of the promise of Jesus to save one from sin, from Satan, from self, and from the world system, and turns to Him believing wholly and solely on the power of His Shed Bllod to accomplish it without delay.

Waiting for Him to come before He will act is not salvific faith. NOW is the time.

[Elsie]

“hell will not prevail against it”...

Yet we are warned to come out of her.

I wonder just what 'her' was being referred to?

[af_vet_1981]

Waiting for Him to come before He will act is not salvific faith. NOW is the time.

Now is always the time, now and forever; every day upon rising up and laying down, forever. Watching is not for extra credit. It is a commandment and a warning.

• And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
• Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
• Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
• Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
• He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
• He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Revelation, Catholic chapter three, Protestant verses one to six,
as authorized, but not authored, by King James

There are four classes of servants in the next passage:
1. Those found watching
2. Those who assaulted fellow servants, partied, and became drunk
3. Those who knew the Messiah's commandments, but did not keep them
4. Those who did not know the Messiah's commandments, and did not keep them.

Were these servants saved at the beginning, or at the end, of their service?

• Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
• Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
• For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
• Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;
• And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he
• Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
• And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
• And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
• Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
• Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?
• And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
• Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
• Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.
• But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;
• The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
• And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
• But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

Luke, Catholic chapter twelve, Protestant verses thirty two to forty eight ,
as authorized, but not authored, by King James

[imardmd1]

Were these servants saved at the beginning, or at the end, of their service?

Be careful here, my FRiend. It seems as though you are going to make an object lesson of this passage. Such a passage has only one meaning. I have a pretty good ide of who these "servants" are, but before I disclose that, I want to know who you think these "servants" are. What is your interpretation? Is this passage plain-literal or figurative-literal, or ae you planning on allegorizing this selected passage?

It's up to you, now. Let's have your view, what approach you are using, and why.

[imardmd1]

BTW, I appreciate your attempt to make these verses a bit easier to read, still recognizing the phrase or sentence divisions, but without letting the numbering system get in the way of the flow of thought.

Bit for my old eyes, you might consider making the citation text at least one size larger. And for me, it is not necessary for you to keep on stating that, while much of the scholarship was conducted under the authority of the Crown, James Stuart had no part in the actual process of assembling and printing the product of the appointed committees. Just giving the citation as Book, chapter, verse, and Bible version will be sufficient. I am well aware of the history of the various versions and of their underlying original language texforms.

[af_vet_1981]

The Messiah called them "little flock." Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?

The Messiah goes on to describe the servants from the greatest (role of the Apostle) to the least (the ignorant). They were all servants. Excluding the Gentiles from being servants of the LORD essentially excludes them from the Gospel. Hence I include as servants all those who belong to the one holy catholic and apostolic Church, which the Apostle to the Gentiles made clear are grafted into the good olive tree (Israel).

• I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
• And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
• For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
• For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
• So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
  
  ...
  
  
• And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
  
  
• In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

Romans, Catholic chapter, Protestant verses one to five,
Second Timothy, Catholic chapter, Protestant verses twenty four to twenty five,
as authorized, but not authored, by King James

[imardmd1]

So, in the Luke 12:36-48, you think the Jesus was referring to Himself as somewhere in time being this lord who is at the center of the parable?

[imardmd1]

My grandfather was a dairyman; and, while the fields generally let him take Saturday as a Sabbath of some rest from plowing, cultivating, and harvest (plus the winter fallow time), and the Lord’s Day for church meeting, the critters did not have the same Sabbath or worship hours. So . . . I guess my Dad did not want to be a constant nursemaid to cows. So He got into the ministering trade, and then guess what? He didn’t have any Sabbath Days or Lord’s Days free to himself either—a nursemaid to a whole congregation!

[af_vet_1981]

So, in the Luke 12:36-48, you think the Jesus was referring to Himself as somewhere in time being this lord who is at the center of the parable?

Yes, Jesus is the "Son of man."

• Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
• For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.
• Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
• Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
• And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

Mark, Catholic chapter thirteen, Protestant verses thirty three to thirty seven,
as authorized, but not authored, by King James
Underlines my own

[imardmd1]

There are different kinds of servants and different kinds of lords. Don't get them mixed up. Yes, I believe that it is Jesus the returning Messiah in Luke 12:36-48, but don't mix it up with the Mark 13 passage. That would be a mistake.

Let me ask another question:

In Luke 12:36-37, Jesus tells of the return of the lord.

³⁶ And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. ³⁶ Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.

So my question is, What wedding is He (Jesus) coming away from to look over his estate? Where is the estate, amd who are his servants?>

[rwa265]

There were two catechumens and ten candidates received into the Church during our Easter Vigil Mass at Holy Spirit Parish. Amen! Alleluia!

[af_vet_1981]

There are different kinds of servants and different kinds of lords. Don't get them mixed up. Yes, I believe that it is Jesus the returning Messiah in Luke 12:36-48, but don't mix it up with the Mark 13 passage. That would be a mistake.

One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

• I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
• With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
• Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
• There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
• One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
• One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
• But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

Ephesians, Catholic chapter four, Protestant verses one to seven,
as authorized, but not authored, by King James

So my question is, What wedding is He (Jesus) coming away from to look over his estate? Where is the estate, and who are his servants?

1. He did not say, or the writer(s) did not record it. Instead, He emphasized watching so as to avoid the three levels of punishment.
   
2. The Messiah is seated at the right hand of the Father. From there He will unloose for departure to judge the living and the dead.
   
3. His servants in the parable were His Apostles and disciples, the little flock. They received authority from Him to go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things He commanded them. By extension, all who believe and are baptized are His servants and should watch (their behavior) for His return.