Posted on 10/06/2009 5:52:10 AM PDT by kindred
Many dear, professing “Christians” today, who are dear and sincere in their Christian traditions and personal beliefs, believe in a DIFFERENT Christ (i.e., they have “their own” Jesus). Therefore they - either knowingly or unknowingly - have rejected the CHRIST of the Holy Scriptures.I personally know how this works. I once had “my own” Jesus.
For years I was a practicing Roman Catholic. From the womb I was taught and raised in the traditions of the Catholic faith (ideology), and in true sincerity I went to church every week, prayed every night, and practiced the Golden rule, but I lived contrary to the moral teachings given by God in His Word. It wasn’t until just before my twenty-first birthday that someone shared with me from God’s Word the True Gospel (good news) and the True Christ of the Holy Scriptures. At that time it was very hard for me to humble myself and go against all that I thought, was taught and believed for years about Jesus. At first I didn’t want to accept the truth and have to change my way of seeing and doing things. Consequently, I ran from the Lord for three years. I had always known that God’s Word was true and the only source of ultimate truth. I knew in my heart also that I had to humble myself and let God and God’s Word be my authority and guide.
At the end of this three years of wrestling with the reality (truth) and The Holy Spirit’s convicting hand (John 16:8-14), I began to read and study God’s Word for myself. As I did so, I started to see for the first time what God’s Word said about the Person of Jesus Christ and about God’s true plan of salvation. I came to the realization that what I had always believed and trusted in my whole life was absolutely wrong and bankrupt! It was a lie and a godless self-delusion that would not be able to stand before Almighty God in the Day of Judgment. My “religious Christian” sincerity would be my ruin, and my misguided good intentions would be my doom (Matt 7:21-23). In God’s Holy Word I saw for the first time the TRUE Christ of the Scriptures and God’s TRUE plan of salvation (Rom. 10:17).
I was at a crossroads. Was I going to trust in the Jesus Christ of the Holy Scriptures, or was I going to keep trusting in my own False Christ and system of “good works,” a vanity that I trusted in all those years which contradicted Christ’s atoning work on the cross (Rom. 3:20-22; Gal. 2:16, 21)?
My Friend, God in His grace and mercy showed me that He loved me and had a wonderful plan and future for my life. He had kept me from so many disastrous consequences of a reckless youth and immoral life. My decision at this point in my life was an easy one. I needed to put my trust in the Jesus who died, was buried and rose again for me according to the scriptures (1 Cor. 15:1-4). This was the very One that loved me and gave his life for me (Gal. 2:20). I bowed my head and heart and asked the Lord Jesus Christ of the Holy Scriptures to come into my heart and save me and deliver me from my sin and trespasses against His righteous Person. When I did that, He did what He promised He would do: Come in! (Rev. 3:20)
My friend, it has been 18 years and I have never looked back. A dear Christian preacher named John Olsteen, who I would watch each Sunday night on TV after a weekend of partying and decadence said, “That when you finally put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ you will never be the same! My friend, how true that is! Almighty God used that man and that message to bring me to a saving knowledge of Himself through Jesus Christ. . "You see, the very One I thought I knew all of my life, I found I didn’t know Him at all."
You see, the very One I thought I knew all of my life, I found I didn’t know Him at all. God in his great love reached out to me and called me to Himself. In His tender mercy and patience He kept knocking on my heart’s door. In His grace and kindness He revealed Himself in a very personal and real way to me, and I finally let Him into my heart to deliver me and give me eternal life - just as He said He would do (Rev. 3:20). I have truly never been the same since then, and God has truly blessed me and has been teaching me so much about myself, time, the world we live in, eternity future, and His wondrous love and grace towards me.
May I ask you this personal question? Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, as the Holy Scriptures teach? True Christianity is not a religious/ cultural philosophy or a practice of “Christian” values and traditions. It is a personal, living relationship with the Creator of heaven and earth in spirit and truth, as revealed in God’s Word (John 4:24). The very One who created all, died on the Cross to pay the price for your sins and mine (John 1:1-14; Philip. 2:4-13). My friend, I can’t think of anything more wonderful than that to tell anyone! May it be your real desire to know the One Who so loved you and sent his Son to die for you, so that you may be with Him forever in joy and peace (John 3:16-17; Gal. 1:4). Won't you place your trust in Him today? You will never be the same!
. The Kingdom of heaven is truly at hand!
Bless you!
Mel
Reegs.
Sorry this was meant to be posted to the original poster!
Mel
I was with this author until he brought up the name John Olsteen. Was his theology is anything like his son’s, ie, prosperity gospel and not knowing if Jesus is the only Way, Truth and Life? If so, then we have a problem.
When you state things like this, please give examples. It is a serious charge to state that the RCC teaches false doctrines.
I can think of no "false doctrine" that the RCC teaches. I disagree with the notion of "trans-substantiation;" I lament the praying to saints; I reject the notion of the immaculate conception of Mary. But these aren't "false doctrines." They are areas of disagreement between non-Catholic groups and Catholic teachings.
Come out in the open. Don't just make a charge of heresy against the RCC without backing it up.
Happy St. Bartholomew’s day!
The Reformation wasn't about "turning away from Mary." It was about turning TOWARD salvation by grace through faith. It was about trusting Christ for salvation, instead of trusting in the deeds prescribed by the "church."
I'm not a protestant, but if you are going to accuse the protestants of something, accuse them of something substantive. If revering Mary as the "mother of God" is so important, why was the practice not codified until the 5th century? The term "theotokos" doesn't even appear in early church literature until 320, almost 300 years after the resurrection of our Lord.
You should have gone to Notre Dame. You'll find no lust there!
But seriously, what was the common factor among all those struggling fellows? Was it the fact that they were Protestants attending Wheaton or was it something/somebody else? Grace to you!
1 Corinthians 7:9
But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.
It is very simple really. God gave us the inspired Word - the Bible - for instruction, for learning of God and Jesus.
He also set out the plan for salvation - hear the word, believe, confess that Jesus is the Son of God, repent of your sins, be baptised for the remission of those sins and you will be given the gift of the Holy Spirit and start your walk with God through life - day by day.
Each of us have a walk with Jesus and He intercedes for us with the Father. Let no man come between you and God.
Check the Bible for verification of current teachings, practices, and creeds brought into churches. If it is not in the Bible - it is man created and you then are depending on man to lead you correctly. But, men have egos, failings, greed, a love for power - so the Bible is your resource for verification of what God set in place rather than what man put in place.
Remember, only God is giving salvation - not you, not the pope, not any minister. So always seek God’s will.
You know - that is the major failing of religions - they each develop creeds, rules, regulations, power leaders - but, never forget, God is what we are seeking and God is the only being that can give salvation or create eternity.
So, it does not matter a whit what you or I feel is correct and the way to God - it matters what God told us to do.
Mel - That was an altogether lovely post - and one I agree with completely. I believe it was the good Apostle Paul who said we each have to work out our own salvation. Surely it is through Christ, but I have found over the course of my years that when I try to limit the Almighty, I usually wind up wrong. Anyway - thanks for a great Love filled reply!
Blessings to you and yours - Jubal
Why is it called the Catholic Church?
For one thing - we are told in the Bible - man should not set himself above other men. Jesus is who we follow - not a man.
We are also told in the Bible that we should elect elders and the criteria to select those elders is even written. These elders are shepherds of the church and of us to determine that the church follows truth.
One other thing of note - have you ever noticed that Jesus was born in a manger - not a palace. Every time God picked someone to do something - he picked - not the kings, the wealthy, the esteemed - he picked the unexpected - the meek, the common. Look at Mary - was she robed in splendor?
Jesus was a carpenter, he was beaten, mocked, tortured.
Why did God ignore the trappings of men and instead bring His Son into the world among the simple? Because God sees things differently than we do. Look at the apostles - were they wealthy, robed in splendor? Look at the prophets.
The catholic church has wonderful people - but I feel that the emphasis of the church is pompous glorification of the men chosen as leaders. Wealth and power have diminished their message. The leaders have developed all manner of ways to buy off sins - when all we are told to do is pray and ask for forgiveness and show our heart is sincere in repentence.
I firmly respect the stands the Catholic Church has taken morally in this world - but the fact they have a Pope established to be esteemed and to be between man and God - proves them a false doctrine to me, precisely because I do not find that in the Bible.
Jubal,
That little rant of mine has been welling up in me for years and, maybe, now I understand it a little and am able to post it without turning it into a tome or a self righteous babble. I must confess that only through my own stupidity and sin in this area have I learned about God’s Righteousness and Mercy!
Praise God!
Blessings and thank-you,
Mel
Why did Mary require a Savior?
Roman Catholicism stands or falls on one passage of Scripture: Matthew 16:13-19.
If you believe this passage establishes papal seccession and transfer of all spiritual authority to Peter,then that would be consistent with Catholic doctrine.
But if you think this passage is taken out of its context in order to centralize spiritual authority, then you might be a Christian.
Read all of Matthew 16 for its context, and compare what it is saying with the rest of Scripture; you would conclude that Jesus is speaking of Himself being the rock and foundation of the church. Particularly when considering “Peter” in verse 18 in the Greek is— a small stone or pebble; and the word “rock” in the same verse means— a massive stone, a foundation, a bedrock. Not that you need to know Greek because the context of the passage is clear-— its all about who Jesus is, and is a test to the disciples if they have grasped it, in contrast to what the rest of society was saying about him.
Similarly, Jesus gives the same authority to all disciples (followers) in Matthew 18:18 and John 20:20-23; which Peter clarified in Acts 10:42-44—> the preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, and belief in the same gospel is salvation.
Which you have no biblical support in the veneration of Mary, and is one of the reasons why orthodox Christians cannot embrace the RCC.
Scripture alone.
When you become your own pope, anything goes.
Which you have no biblical support in the veneration of Mary, and is one of the reasons why orthodox Christians cannot embrace the RCC.
Scripture alone.
++++++++++++++
?
and where in scripture is that stated ?
“scripture alone”?
and as an Orthodox Christian I don’t understand your comment that there is no veneration of Theotokos.
thank you.
I appreciate your research, but ask yourself:
Why did Jesus call Peter “His Rock” and tell Peter that what he holds fast on Earth will be held fast in Heaven and what he loosens on Earth will be loosened in Heaven?
To me, and to the ages, that signifies Jesus’ establishment of the Papacy.
As for Mary: God chose her from the beginning of all creation to be the blessed vessel which would deliver Jesus as the Savior of all mankind.
And the Bible refers to her as blessed and says that ALL generations shall call her blessed. Just because 20, 30, 40, 50, 350 or even 4000 generations have passed, those words prescribing us to call her blessed still stands.
We’re probably not going to see eye to eye on this issue so let’s all get together on condemning abortion - ok?
Following and interpreting Biblical passages can be very difficult and tricky but can’t we all agree that sticking a fork in a baby’s head is a bad move?
What are you now, Clemenza? Cool name - reminds me of “The Godfather”.
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