Posted on 06/16/2019 4:55:18 AM PDT by CharlesOConnell
In Captains Courageous, with Spencer Tracey, Freddy Batholomew is a blowhard millionaire's son who is socially, poorly adjusted. He uses his father's incredible wealth, to bully his classmates and even his teacher, but he's roundly disliked, and ostracized. While on an ocean liner, he unsuccessfully tries to impress some other boys by eating 5 ice cream sodas. When he has to throw up, to escape the mocking boys, he runs into a lifeboat area to evade their ridicule while purging his overindulgence, and manages to fall overboard into the ocean.
Instances of people falling overboard into the open ocean are rather commonly reported in the news. Usually they are lost, but if by chance their accidents are observed and a life-preserver is thrown to them, is that the end of the story, do we just say, "oh, well, you have a floatation device, you're okay now"?
No, we have to pull them in. The life-preserver, the lifesaver, is only part of the formula for saving their lives. There is also a rope, which must be attached to the life-preserver, and must be used to finally accomplish their salvation.
Jesus Christ is the one mediator between God and man. But on the man side of the equation, unlike the radical individuality most typified by J.J. Rousseau, we who life the life of Christians do so in communities. But even then, we do not abide as atomistic individualists. We live our Jesus-oriented life in relation to our fellows. "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." – Hebrews 10:25.
Jesus' first disciple was his mother, who gave us the total account of his early life and who "treasured these things up in her heart". "A sword will pierce your own soul too, so that the secret thoughts of many hearts might be revealed". On the cross, he gave his mother to John to take in his home, but when you take your master's mother, she takes care of you.
Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple; and there were flashes of lightning, voices, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail. And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; she was with child and she cried out in her pangs of birth, in anguish for delivery.
And another portent appeared in heaven; behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems upon his heads. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear a child, that he might devour her child when she brought it forth; she brought forth a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which to be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days. …
And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had borne the male child. But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with the flood. But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river which the dragon had poured from his mouth. Then the dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus. - Rev 11:19 -- 12:17
She forms the body of Christ. She schools her son's disciples. Those who won't attend her school, remain ignorant.
We are in a time when any merely human institution would be washed away. Our churches are going under the shadow of a new Heresy of Ba'al of Peor, as when the Hebrew people were successfully attacked and overwhelmed through human sexuality. Our churches are now pro-gay and as soon as the civil authority authorizes child sex, they will be indistinguishable from the denizens of the town of Sodom: "Bring them out that we may know them".
Jesus' mother forms the few of the elect who will resist being fooled by the great apostasy. Those who will not avail themselves of the lifeline of Mary, will be lost.
Amen
I thought the Holy Spirit was the Life Line.
That’s what I was thinking... er... John 14:26? Besides, if Mary is as pivotal/central as Catholicism claims, then there would be a “witness” to this...TWO actually. In all of Tanakh or NT, there is no such witness. She does actually fit/match the character of Semiramis however... by their own description and perspective.
Really, I must have missed that account in Scripture....
I didn't count the times Jesus early life is written about, maybe 5 or 6 times ?
Hardly a "total" account
I love Mary, the mother of God, but if she was all that the Catholic church says she is, it would be indicated in the scripture. Is she unique? Yes. Is she God's mother? Yes. Was she immaculately conceived? Not in scripture. Is she in any way a redeemer co or otherwise? No!! She birthed the Redeemer and she undoubtedly holds a special and unique place in the body. She also has a unique relationship with Jesus. She's His mother for Pete's sake.
Mary is special and she will hold a special place in heaven being Jesus' (God's) mother. She is not a co-redemtrix or a rope as Catholics assert - as far as scripture says.
The Holy Spirit is the rope - sorry!!
Ooga, booga? Shades of paganism? Mother of harlots? Hmmmm. The Book of Revelation is the most abused book of the Christian Bible. Many false prophets have used it for their own purposes.
I’m just saying... everybody wants to “see Jesus” on a piece of toast... the end of a piece of firewood... in the pattern made on the surface of their bowl of soup....etc. What’s the basis for such a claim about Mary? What’s the epistemology? John’s Revelation is far from being the most “abused” book. Most people use “applicable sections” throughout to suit themselves, and simply omit/ignore the parts they don’t “like”, understand, or which don’t “suit” them.
Absolutely bogus and in violation of Scripture.
“Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple; and there were flashes of lightning, voices, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail. And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; she was with child and she cried out in her pangs of birth, in anguish for delivery.”
Passage is about Israel, not the Mary.
The Holy Spirit is who draws us to Jesus and seals our salvation.
Catholicism gives the attributes of the Holy Spirit to Mary and then denies they deify her.
But you disregard its profound importance at your own risk. And if you spread that disregard (and disrespect) to others, you compound that risk.
That's it. Jesus said that He was the way, the truth and the light and nobody comes to God except through Him.
Haha oh man. You’ve opened up a can with this one!
It’s good though because you reminded me I still need to pray my Rosary today; I’ve been caught up reading news and stuff. So thanks! Good luck!
"The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come!"
As a Catholic I can tell you this guy misses the boat... God is the life preserver, Jesus the rope, Mary is the cry for help... she can persuade Jesus to reel you in...
“21 When His family heard this, they set out to restrain Him, because they said, “He’s out of His mind.”...31 Then His mother and His brothers came, and standing outside, they sent word to Him and called Him. 32 A crowd was sitting around Him and told Him, “Look, Your mother, Your brothers, and Your sisters are outside asking for You.”
33 He replied to them, “Who are My mother and My brothers?” 34 And looking about at those who were sitting in a circle around Him, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 35 Whoever does the will of God is My brother and sister and mother.”” - Mark 3
Jesus doesn’t need anyone to “persuade” him to save sinners.
Amen.
Then what is the Holy Spirit....chopped Liver?
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