Posted on 03/04/2007 8:21:23 AM PST by Iscool
Catholic Church & Jesus Christ By Pastor G. Reckart International Copyright All Rights Reserved August 30, 2005
Why No One Should Be A Catholic
The first thing a Catholic learns when they open their Bible is they cannot buy their way out of hell fire.
When a Catholic looks in the Bible they will not find purgatory. They will not find priests taking money to say a Mass to get souls out of the fires of hell. The Catholic church is popular because many do not want much out of religion and the Catholic church offers them the little they want. Yet many do want more of God and to obtain it they must leave the Catholic church. In the past 30 years it is estimated over 150 million Catholics have left the Catholic church seeking more of God from other religions. Catholicism remains popular because a Catholic can sin all the way to purgatory and someone can buy their way out of hell fire right into heaven. Over 150 million Catholics read the Bible and could not find purgatory and giving priests money to say a Mass to get souls out of the flames of hell fire. If a Catholic will open their Bible and search they will not find these either. No where in the New Testament is there a priest who takes money to say a Mass to get souls out of hell. Maybe God has been dealing with you showing you the Catholic church is not right? Now is the time to accept God's will and leave.
One of the good things about Catholics is their desire to help people. So if a loved one dies and they did not live a holy life it is understood they must go to Purgatory and suffer in hell fire until a priest can get them released to go to heaven. Catholics are very loving and ready to give large sums of money to help these poor souls. They really believe that by buying a Mass for these dead souls in Purgatory they will be released from hell fire to go to heaven. This is great love for people no doubt about that. But, all this love and all this money will never save a soul who has died lost and is in hell fire torment. The Catholic church has used the love and affection of its members to make billions of dollars in profit saying a Mass for loved ones. This has been fraud for many centuries. The Catholic church developed this money scheme to milk loving Catholics who cared for a deceased loved one. According to Catholicism, its members can pay money to the priests and empty purgatory hell fire of all Catholics. This is not true and it has not been true for 1600 years. Why do good and honest people put up with this scheme from the Catholic church? They do so because they are scared of the Catholic church and its priests. Those Catholics who look into the Bible will not find Purgatory, priest collecting money to say a Mass, or the Catholic church. This is why a person should not be a Catholic.
Thousands of Catholics each year are leaving the church of Rome. Why? They are leaving because they no longer believe the Catholic church is the true Church of the Bible. They discover the Catholic church is filled with falsehood, lies, and deceptions. They learn it has no biblical authority for its religious rituals and the majority of its teachings are perversions of scripture. When they look for the Catholic church in the New Testament of the Bible they cannot find it at all. When they look for the rituals practiced they cannot find them. When they search for a pope or priest performing the Mass they cannot find one. When they look for Jesus Christ to be a Catholic they are shocked he was not a Catholic and never attended a Catholic church. When a Catholic takes a good look in the Bible he/she will learn they have been in a false religion all along and brainwashed to believe they were in the true one and only. True Christianity is not Catholic. Christianity existed 295 years before the Catholic church was founded.
Catholics are right to leave the Catholic church. After all they must save their souls and if the Catholic church does not have the true Gospel message of salvation that will save sinners THEY SHOULD ESCAPE and quick! Of course the priest will try numerous tricks to keep Catholics in the church.
No one can be a true Christian and a Catholic at the same time.
The second thing a Catholic learns is that Jesus was not the founder of the Catholic Church.
When a Catholic opens their Bible they will never find Jesus in or near a Catholic church. When they open their Bible they will learn that Jesus was not a Catholic and was not the founder of the Catholic religion. They learn the word "Catholic" is not in the Bible. They then learn the Catholic church took up the name "Catholic" from Latin which means "universal." The Catholic church claims it is "universal" or world wide. It claims it is the oldest and ONLY WORLD WIDE RELIGION OF CHRISTIANITY STARTED BY JESUS CHRIST. When Catholics discover this is false, that Jesus started a Jewish religion, they soon learn the Catholic church is not Jewish at all but is Gentile owned, Gentile operated, and a Gentile controlled business enterprise whose product is paganized religion. When Catholics open their eyes and see that the Catholic church has adopted many pagan and heathen celebrations and practices and adapted these to Christian teachings, they know they have to leave. No, they know they have to run! It is right here, they know Jesus Christ was not the founder of the Catholic church. Because Jesus would not start a Church and then allow the gates of hell to conquer it by adopting pagan religious practices. No, Jesus would keep his Church pure and free from all evil and sin. The Catholic church is not such a Church. Jesus was not the founder of the Catholic church and Catholics learn they must leave it immediately.
The third thing a Catholic learns, is they do not receive Jesus Christ as Savior when the Eucharist wafer is placed on their tongue.
When a Catholic opens their Bible they will not find the small wafer as pictured on the left. They will not find anyone sticking out their tongue to have the wafer placed there by a Catholic priest. Catholics are taught that when they go forward at the end of the Mass, they do so to receive the flesh of Jesus. The devout Catholic presents him/her self before the priest, open their mouth, stick out their tongue, and he deposits the flesh of Jesus in the form of this wafer. The Catholic is now told he has eternal life because he has eaten the flesh of Jesus. Salvation in the Catholic church is totally and completely in the Mass. They do not preach Acts 2:38 and the necessity of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, and through Christ alone. According to the Catholic religion, a person must attend Mass, believe the pope is the vicar of God, accept the Catholic church as the one and only true Church, and then receive the Eucharist on the tongue to be saved. But when a Catholic searches the Bible for the Mass and the Eucharist wafer they cannot find them. They discover the Catholic church has never followed the Biblical Lord's Supper (Communion or Passover). In fact they will learn the Catholic church does not follow the New Testament at all in the Communion observance of the Lord's flesh and blood.
The Catholic church departed from the ancient practice of Jerusalem and the Eastern churches of Asia in observing the Lord's Passover on the evening of the 14th of Nisan. The church of Rome has tried to destroy this ancient Passover observance since 325AD and the Council of Nicaea. At issue here is if the Church Jesus founded observed an annual celebration of his death on the annual Jewish Passover as he commanded (do this in remembrance of me--which includes the Cup, the unleavened bread, and washing of feet). Any Catholic who studies history will learn the early Christians did indeed celebrate the Lord's Passover on an annual basis on the same day the Jews observed their Passover. This practice was brought to Asia not only by the Apostle Paul, but the Apostle John and the Evangelist Philip.
The Asian Christian Churches followed the ancient custom of Jerusalem, celebrating the annual day of the death of Jesus on the Jew's Passover evening. This is certified by no less then such great men of God as Polycarp and Polycrates both of Ephesus. The whole of the Asian Churches held the eve of the 14th of Nisan as the annual celebration of the Lord's Passion on the same day the Jews observed their annual Passover. All the Asian Churches held a conference and refused to change to practice Easter and sent a letter to Victor Bishop of Rome, who then wrote letters to all the Bishops of the world to excommunicate them from the Christian Church (although he had no such power). The response of Polycrates (190AD) is documented history. The Catholic church at the Council of Nicaea in 325AD, formerly adopted the practice of observing the Easter resurrection of Jesus AND NOT HIS DEATH! Jesus instituted the memorial of his death in the new Passover and sealed this as an annual celebration. He sealed the memorial of his resurrection in New Testament baptism.
Out of the Council of Nicaea came the Catholic law not to observe the Lord's Passover on the day, evening, and time he instituted it. The Bishops at the Council switched over to celebrate the Easter resurrection and held this as an annual day. Easter is now an annual day while the Lord's Communion was moved inside newly adopted pagan mystery Mass. The Mass is held many times a day contrary to what Jesus instituted for the Communion Passover. When a Catholic sees this, they know Rome and the Council of Nicaea falsified the command of Jesus to observe the annual Passover held in honor of his death as the Passover Lamb. A Catholic has every right to leave the Catholic church and go back to what Jesus instituted and he did not institute the Mass. Jesus was not the founder of the Catholic church or its Mass.
So, the Eastern Asian Churches continued the Jerusalem practice of the Lord's Passover on the eve of the 14th of Nisan. The Western and African churches controlled by Rome began to observe the resurrection which they called Easter (Easter is the spring pagan goddess Eostre). Those who celebrate Easter are observing a pagan holiday manufactured by the papacy.
It is here that Catholics learn the Catholic church adopted a pagan name for the resurrection of Jesus. This is shocking to Catholics when they see it. It is shocking to Catholics to learn that no Church in the Bible ever observed the day of the resurrection on an annual basis: but instead observed it on the occasion of each and every baptism of a convert. But the Churches did observe the Lord's Passover on the same day the Jews celebrated their Passover.
When Catholics learn the Councils were not holy meetings of the True Apostolic Church, they want out and leave. Over 500 million people world-wide have rejected the claims of the Catholic church. When a Catholic has Bible study and learns what the true Church really believed and practiced, they see the real Church Jesus established. They will eagerly accept the Lord's Communion and observe it because it is the Thanksforgiving Feast of the Lord's Passover. They are willing to give up the paganism of Easter. It is right here that the Catholic learns the bread and wine are only symbols and do not turn into the real flesh and blood of Jesus. When they learn they cannot receive Christ as Savior by sticking out their tongue, they will leave the Catholic church. When they come to the truth that the Catholic Eucharist is a falsehood they will never stick out their tongue again to receive it. Catholic priests, monks, archbishops, cardinals, and popes will shudder of this, but no one in the Bible received Jesus Christ as Savior by sticking out their tongue and receiving a wafer that is said to be the real flesh of Jesus. When a Catholic gets a firm grip on the Word of God and understands the true Passover of the Lord Jesus they will never return to a Catholic church ever again.
The fourth thing a Catholic learns is the Mass is not found in the Bible any where.
When a Catholic opens the Bible they will not find the Mass. They will not find a crucifix used by the New Testament Church. They will not find a Catholic style altar at all. All Catholics know the center of the Catholic religion is the Mass. It is the ritual artificial re-crucifixion of Jesus by a priest as he takes the cup of wine and presents it to a crucifix of Jesus on the cross and recites a prayer in Latin. Concluding his prayer the wine magically is turned into the blood of Jesus. He then gulps this down and does not share a drop with the members attending. Where did this practice originate that only priests can drink from the Cup? Paul did not teach this to the Corinthians! Next the priest picks up the IHS wafer and holds it high before the crucifix as he mumbles another prayer in Latin. Usually there is music and a song immediately after the consecration that turns the bread and wine into the flesh and blood of Jesus. This is to embellish the moment of the occasion and give it a sense of holiness. The priest then summons the faithful to come forward and receive Christ as Savior. Believing they are receiving Christ as Savior they flock to the front and stick out their tongue to receive Jesus.
But when a Catholic looks into the Bible for this mystery ritual Mass they will not find it. They learn the Mass is nothing but a borrowed pagan ritual from the temple of Jove. They learn there is no Mass found anywhere in the New Testament. They cannot find a single person sticking out their tongue to receive Christ as their Savior. They cannot find a Latin Mass. They cannot find a priest drinking the cup of wine all to himself. These things are not in the Bible any where. The New Testament records everything about the Christian Church. And the Catholic Mass is not found there. One Catholic woman said: "when I tried to find the Mass in the Bible and it was not there, I knew in my heart I had been deceived."
What is the Mass? It is an artificial sacrifice. It is a mock sacrifice. It is the priest recrucifying Jesus in the emblems of the Eucharist and the Cup. Where in the Bible are we to think that observing the Lord's Communion or Passover memorial we are recrucifying Jesus on the Cross? It is not there! When a Catholic looks in the Bible for a priest to hold in his hands the Eucharist wafer and turn it into the flesh of Jesus, he/she will not find it. When they look in the Bible for a place where a priest blesses the cup and turns it into the blood of Jesus he/she cannot find it. This is shocking! Why is the Catholic church doing something that is not in the Bible . Why are they performing a ritual that no Apostle or Minister of the Christian Church did? Why is the central religious ritual of the Catholic church completely missing from the Bible? It is not there. The Catholic who learns this discovers also that the daily multiple Mass observance to recrucify the Lord Jesus is not in the Bible. Yes, the Mass is a recrucification of Jesus every time the priest holds it. There must be fresh flesh and fresh blood of Jesus in the Catholic church several times a day or the Catholic church has no Mass. How many times a day in all the Catholic churches throughout the world is Christ recrucified every day? In the Bible those who crucify to themselves Christ afresh are accursed. There is not one Mass to be found any where in the Bible. Just because the Catholic church points to Jesus observing the Jewish Passover does not make it a Mass. Jesus observed the Passover and then instituted his own annual Passover. He did not institute the ritual of the Mass as the Catholic church practices today. And what of washing feet which Jesus did and commanded of his Apostles. Why, in over 1,700 years has the Catholic church NEVER PRACTICED WASHING OF FEET at the Communion as Jesus established? It does not because the Mass is not a true representation of the annual Passover Memorial Jesus instituted. At no time did Jesus hint or indicate his Memorial was to be a daily ritual. When Catholics learn this, they know in their heart of hearts this is not the true Church.
What is the fifth thing a Catholic learns is there is no confession booth in the Bible.
They discover the confession booth is all a fraud and a sham. They cannot find it any where in the Bible either. The Catholic church just made up religious stuff and got people to believe it. People who never read the Bible to check if what they are doing is even in there. When a Catholic searches the Bible for the confession booth and cannot find it they know going to a priest to confess their sins was nothing but the way the Catholic church learns everything sinful that is taking place in a person's life or home. They learn the priest has used the confessional to extract sex stories out of young girls and boys. Many altar boys were homosexualized using the confession booth as a tool of contact and seduction by the priest. What is so shocking about this instrument of the church is that no where are Christians told they must go to a New Testament Minister or Preacher to confess their sins to receive forgiveness. When the Catholic learns they can go straight to God in their own prayer, at home, in the car, at work, or at a place of worship: they have no need for a confessional ever again. And, how is it that a sinful priest can tell a sinner to say five hail-Marys and put some money in the poor box and this is the penance for their stealing, lying, adultery, fornication, gambling, homosexuality, lesbianism, drug use, and other sins? How can a priest guilty of most of the same sins who has not confessed himself to some other sinful priest, going to be able to grant indulgences and pardons? When a Catholic really thinks about this, they know they were members of a church that was not the Christian Church of the Bible. They know they must read their Bible and find a Church that matches the Church of the Bible.
The sixth thing a Catholic learns is there is no Pope in the Bible and Peter was not the first Pope.
A Catholic who opens the Bible will discover there is no pope. Yes, they learn the claim Peter was the first pope is false. They will not find a pope in the Bible, and what's more they will not find the pope's fish hat or his fancy gold worn by Peter. No, they will discover the Pontiff title is another religious title stolen from the high priest of the temple of Jove. They learn Peter never was a pope and never was the recognized leader of the Christian Church. Indeed, he was given the keys to the Kingdom in Matthew 16:19 but these when used on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2), in Samaria (Acts 8), and in Caesarea (Acts 10), afterward ceasing to be needed. He opened up the Kingdom gates of the Church to the whole world. He was not given the keys as a signal he held the position of Pope. Once the gates to the Kingdom were opened no man could shut them. No where in the Bible did Peter pass these keys on to a successor.
Who was the man who presided over the New Testament Church? Was it Peter? No! It was Jacob (James) the firstborn son of Mary by Joseph after Jesus was born. This half-brother of the Lord arose and took over the leadership of the Church and we find him in that position in Acts 15. Peter never was the head of the Christian Church so he could not have been the first pope of a fictitious Catholic church. How come, if Jesus is the founder of the Catholic church he is not the first pope? Most Catholics never seem to get out of the Catholic box far enough to ask themselves some important questions. The invention of a Gentile pope to run the Catholic church was in the fourth century.
All the pre-Nicene books were rewritten in such a way to create a legacy of supposed Western or Latin Roman pontiffs who ruled the entire Christian Church world. The title of Pontiff comes from Latin paganism. The title Pontiff is not in the Bible any where (it is another Catholic falsehood).
There are men mentioned in the history of the Catholic church as popes who may have never existed. They can be proven to exist only in the post Nicene books written to reinforce Rome's claim to legitimate power and control over the Christian Church. The falsehood of the donation letter supposedly written by Constantine is an example of forgery and fraud within the Catholic church.
The whole idea, theory, and development of a succession of Latin pontiff popes from Peter to the present pope is all a massive fraud. There is no pope in the Bible and there never was a pope over the true Christian Church. Jesus reigns as King over the Church and his Ministers act as his ambassadors throughout the nations. This you will find in the Bible. You will not find a religious system with nuns, monks, archbishops, cardinals, prelates, and popes. A Catholic will not find a religious hierarchy of ascending ranks from laity to the pope as is found in the Catholic church. When a Catholic learns there is no pope in the Bible, they know once more they had been deceived by religious trickery and mental seduction. They know the Catholic church is not the true Church founded by Jesus Christ.
Take a look on the left at an ancient image of the fish god Dagon found in Mesopotamia. Look at his fish hat and that of the pope above. Any Catholic can see the Catholic church has adopted Dagan idolatry in hats to embellish their popes and priests and make them look religious to the world. The popes of Rome need to jerk that fish hat off, throw it down, stomp on it, and take it out and burn it. The pope should issue a Papal Bull it is never to be worn again by any pope or priest. Will they do it? No they will not do it and this is the reason the Catholic must run from the Catholic church and never look back. The Catholic church is not going to correct any of this falsehood, rituals, or heresies. It is a paganized Christian religion that has entrenched itself in many nations by bloodshed, threats, violence, and deception.
The seventh thing a Catholic learns is the 12 Apostles and New Testament Saints were not Catholic.
When a Catholic opens their Bible and tries to find the 12 Apostles and the Saints attending a Catholic church they will not find it. They learn from Bible study that all the New Testament Apostles and Saints were not Catholic. They learn the Catholic church surrounds themselves with images and idols of the Apostles and New Testament Saints to deceive members that the 12 Apostles and Saints were Catholic. It makes members think if these were all Catholic then they should be Catholic also. When they look at the images of the Apostles, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, they are led to believe these chose the Catholic church because it is God's church. They never stop to think these images are put around a Catholic church to make people think it is the Church of God when it is not. Idols and images around a Catholic church is one of the biggest deceptions of the priests of Rome. It is an important tool used by the Catholic church to deceive the minds of members. The members are forced to think in a box. They never consider these were never Catholics. But when they open the Bible and see these were not Catholic their eyes come open and they see the Catholic church is not the Church of the Bible.
A Catholic who studies will learn there are no nuns, monks, priests, or popes in the Bible. They learn Mary was not worshiped. They learn she held no special position other then the Mother of the Messieh. They learn the Catholic church invented a white religion that is racist and portrays Mary, Joseph, Jesus as white people when they were black or brown. They learn that Rome deceives not only with false doctrine but with pictures, idols, and icons. They learn that the veneration, worship, and prayers to saints is not in the Bible. They learn the Catholic church did not give the world the Bible. The Bible existed before there was a Catholic church. They learn the Catholic church makes use of these so-called saints to embellish its pomp, rituals, church decor with images, and to make people think all these were Catholic.
None of the Saints of the New Testament Church were Catholic. None of them had ever been in a Catholic church. None were sprinkle baptized in the trinity. None ever doused themselves with holy water. None of them ever went to confession. Never prayed on the rosary. None attend a Mass. None celebrated Easter. In fact, when a Catholic looks in the Bible for adoration and veneration of saints he/she cannot find the practice of it any where. One of the claims of the Catholic church to Catholics is this: "You can believe the Catholic church is the true Church because it produced all the saints and such holy men and women as St Francis of Assisi, St Teresa of Avila, St. John Vianney, St Therese of Lizieux." Rome claims these and other holy saints produced by the Catholic church proves it is the true Church. But where is the adoration and veneration of saints in the Bible? Where in the Bible is there the making of idols and images of saints to stand around the church, in the foyer, outside the church, and in every nook and cranny? Idols and images are condemned in the Bible.
Where in the Bible did Christians make medallions to hang from one's neck as a luck charm or a fetish to ward off sickness, disease, or some other bad omen? There is none. The whole use of these so-called saints is to make Catholics think no other religion claiming to be Christian has such people in its ranks. The Catholic church uses these saints and their lives as a means to teach Catholic doctrine and compliance to the rules and codes. If a person rebels against the Catholic church they might lose the prayers of a saint on their behalf or the behalf of another loved one. So, to keep close to God a Catholic prays to these idols and gives money to their favorite saint-fan-club. When a Catholic learns there is no such practices found in the Bible they know they were deceived again. They know they must leave the Catholic church quickly because it is not the Church Jesus founded.
The eighth thing a Catholic learns is that Mary was never a Catholic.
When a Catholic opens their Bible they will not find Mary attending a Catholic Church. They will not find her as a Nun. They will not find a perpetual virgin. If Mary is not a Catholic there is no Catholic church. When a Catholic opens the Bible and learns Mary was not a Catholic and not the mother of God, they know they must leave the Catholic church.
Mary was the mother of the seed of David in which God was incarnated upon birth (1Tim 3:16). There is no greater deception and lie of the Catholic church then that Mary was a Catholic. Mary never attended a Catholic church in her life. She never heard of one in her life. She never saw or met a Catholic nun, monk, priest, or pope in her life. She never attended a Mass in her life. She was never sprinkle baptized by a priest of the Catholic church. She never prayed on a rosary. She never crossed herself with the sign of the Cross. She never doused herself with holy water. She never went to a confession booth. She never received penance from a Catholic priest.
Mary was not a Catholic. She was Jewish and a member of the Christian Jewish Church. This Christian Jewish Church was not Catholic. The Jewish Church did not develop into the Catholic church. The Catholic church is a complete Gentile creation of men established many centuries after Mary's death.
Mary was a Jewish woman of the tribe of Judah and the mother of Jesus the Messieh of Israel. She was mother of the seed of David, the man-child, and she was the unrecognized queen of Israel. She did not birth a God into the world.
Such teachings that she is God's mother makes Catholicism a laughing stock. How can the created birth the uncreated? Impossible you say! Agreed. Where was Mary when God created the heavens and the earth? She was not living yet. Where was Mary when God created Adam and Eve? She did not exist. To say Mary was the mother of God cannot be found any where in the Bible. When a Catholic looks for this verification and cannot find it, they know this is one more reason to leave the Catholic church. They ask themselves: if Mary was not a Catholic why should I be?
The Catholic church goes above honor of Mary, they make her a co-mediator with Christ. The Catholic church claims a Catholic can pray to Mary who will talk to her son who will talk to his Father and favor is granted because Mary is the mother of the Father's Son. Catholics are led to believe Mary can get the Father to do for them what they ask because God the Father would never deny the Mother of his Son. Is this procedure of praying to Mary any where in the Bible? It is not found there.
What is the theory behind this? In ancient times a person might be afraid to go directly to a king because they did not know how their situation might turn out. So, they sought a way to influence the king and who better to do this than his mother. So, a person might get the mother to mention something to the king and thereby soften up his attitude and or provoke him to do something good for a person his mother knows. After all, it is reasoned what king would not want to show honor and respect to his mother's wishes. So, a Catholic believes if they ask Mary, she will ask the Son and the Son will ask the Father and the Father will not deny the mother of his Son.
When a Catholic learns this is not in the Bible any where they know the Catholic church is not the true Church founded by Jesus. When they learn Mary was not a go-between to Jesus and to God the Father for others, this causes Catholics to see all this Maryology as nothing but a big religious sham. They should take this treasured Lady down from her place among idols throughout the world. They should stop praying to her because this is not in the Bible. They should stop teaching lies and falsehoods about Mary. Have they no respect for her? They should remove her from their churches because she was Jewish and not Catholic. When a Catholic learns that Mary was not a Catholic they have discovered the last thing they need to know that proves the Catholic church is not the Church Jesus founded.
As the light of Truth comes into the life of a Catholic they will see the Catholic church as an impostor. They will then take a second look at its sins, evils, and scandals. They will know from its birth in Nicaea in 325AD until today 2005 it is an evil religion that has cheated millions of true Bible salvation by its falsehood. The Catholic church has killed more people to establish and enforce the Catholic religion then any other religion in the world. Thousands have been murdered. Hundreds have been burned at the stake. More hundreds have been tortured. There are thousands of killed babies whom nuns birthed and the fathers were priests. Homosexuality is so out of control in the Catholic church among the priests, monks, and popes. If ever there was a church the gates of hell have prevailed against, it is the Catholic church. Catholic apologist claim these are just scars of sinners upon Christ and they are wounds to his body that Catholics and the world should overlook. No, we cannot overlook something so evil, when we know it is not the true Church of Jesus Christ. The Catholic church will continue to be the most shameful religious group in the world. When a Catholic comes to see the shame of the Catholic church they will know it is not the true Church Jesus founded.
So, why should a Catholic leave the Catholic church and find the true Church of the Bible?
Because as members of the Catholic church they are in a false church. As a member in the Catholic church they are forced to believe the Catholic church does not have to be found in the Bible. They are forced to believe in many things they cannot find in the Bible.
If a Catholic does not leave the Catholic church they are not baptized properly as found in the Bible. They are not saved by faith as found in the Bible. If they remain Catholic their soul will be lost. If they remain a Catholic after they are shown the Catholic church is not in the Bible they will go to hell.
A Catholic must ask themselves: "If Jesus and the Apostles were not in the Catholic church why should I be a member?"
A Catholic must believe Jesus was the founder of a Jewish Christian Church and Peter preached how to be saved in Acts 2:38.
A Catholic must ask him/her self this question: "If Peter was the first Pope how come the Catholic church does not follow him and baptized in the name of Jesus Christ as Peter preached in Acts 2:38?
Catholics are not dumb people. They do not want their soul to be lost. My final advice to all our Catholic friends is: "don't let anyone fool you or convince you to stay in the Catholic church."
Closing prayer:
Lord Jesus I pray for all the good people in the Catholic church. I pray our Lord that you would open their eyes to see you were not a Catholic and they should not be either. As they open their Bible Lord Jesus and begin to seek for the true Church, guide them, love them, and lead them as our Good Shepherd. Lord I pray now you will bring them into the one fold of the True Church of Jesus Christ. Amen!
Pastor G. Reckart
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LOL!!
There is nothing wrong with good works. People should do them but not to gain salvation. When you are free from judgement, you are free to focus on the Lord; not on being good enough. The Holy Spirt is the motivator. The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son. That means they all live within you and how can you live a sinful life with their Spirit within you?
They are just sooooo cute!!! We used to have Nubians when I lived at home. I praise God for them because they ate all the poison ivy surrounding the house, and I am highly allergic to it (it only has to be on the wind and I get it!)
My in-laws keep talking about getting some goats...my kids would love it :)
This is from "Young's Literal Translation" of the scriptures which I use quite often as it....just literally translates....with no thought to style, rhythm or beauty.
[Luke 1:48] Because He looked on the lowliness of His maid-servant, For, lo, henceforth call me happy shall all the generations.
Please exercise patience and remember that, at least for me, repetition is not persuasive. I KNOW that you think that the RCC church is a human institution with human traditions. I disagree. Your saying it over and over again will not change my mind.
As to the question of debt and stain: I distinguished between the two. Consequently a whole artillery barrage of citations about debt being cancelled will not do to address the question of stain (and chain but that's for later) unless you show me there is no distinction, which you have not yet done.
But it sounds like you do not distinguish between the two. I agree the debt is paid. The relationship is restored. If it were not, in our scheme, our "subject" would be in hell, not Purgatory.
Here's the problem I'd like you -- NOT to agree (not yet, anyway) with -- but to give some sign of understanding what I'm saying.
So John Doe apologizes to God for his sins and his estrangement from God. He accepts Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior. The relationship is restored. This is always a tear-bringing miracle.
The next morning he trips over the cat on his way out the door and in his anger lets fly a mighty blasphemous oath and drop kicks the cat into next week. (This is NOT part of my life experience -- I don't kick that well.)
What do you say of this? Was his conversion phony? I would say not necessarily. Is his sin forgiven? I would say, Yes - at least in principle. God still loves him, still holds him in His heart, etc. Is it a sin? Fer shur!
What if John Doe is an especially irascible man, (and if he has an especially stupid cat)? This may actually be a habitual occurrence in his life. Is that possible?
Sure, I think the moment when one finally makes one's own personal assent to God is accompanied by some instant changes. And for some people, Sergeant York comes to mind if the stories are true), it seems they are radical life-changing alterations. But for others, the habits of cussing and cat-kicking are so automatic that they hardly know they're doing them. It will take time to become aware and to stop doing those things.
One of the first steps for many smokers or over-eaters is to become aware of when they light up or snack. There was once this hysterically funny (to us, not to the judge) young man in court.He used the f-word the way you or I might say "uh". I'm serious! I was quietly exploding with laughter (hard to do in uniform -- I had to face the wall) but out of the corner of my eye I could see the judge's eyebrows climbing over the top of her head!
This guy had no clue that you don't use that kind of language in front of a lady judge (or anywhere else, come to think of it) and probably even if he HAD a clue, could hardly stop himself. It was so obviously habitual,an unconscious habit.
Now God could save that young man, of course. And God would bear with him as he slowly, slowly turned away from filthy talk. God would help him in all the ways God helps us.
So this guy, on his way downstairs He makes his appeal to Christ. He steps out of the court building and is hit by a bus. Does he join the heavenly chorus, and while they're singing, is his part, "I'm effing talking about AH effing LAY effing LOO effing YAH! Effing A, know whut I mean?"
I would venture to say, probably not.
So how does THAT change happen in him? How does the habit of profanity and filthy talk get shed from Him?
And, skipping about ninety gazillion steps, I'd say that Purgatory is our answer to that question.
Others here use a language of debt. I personally prefer a therapeutic analogy, herewith:
I had a feed mixer. It broke. I had to hand mix about 300 lbs of feed per day for months. I can't reckon how many scoops of grain that involved. Part of the problem was that one medication, a coccidiostat, is so strong that I essentially had to mix about a cup evenly through some 150 gallons of feed. LOTs of scooping.
Because I have not exercised as I ought, the muscles supporting my shoulder were not as they should be, and I damaged my shoulder. I had to go to therapy. The therapy involved infusions of cortisone, exercises, and what I can only call torture. This LOVELY and pleasant young lady would come and, as it seemed, try to rip my arm out of the socket. In all different ways! (I finally realized that while I was being all stoic, she was watching my face, and stopping when I looked like I was in all the agony I could bear. I quit being as stoic.)
So finally, my shoulder was all better.
The analogy is that I had been living a life of sin, and one particular sin repeated finally damaged me so much that I became aware of the agony.
"The decrees of the Lord are just, and righteous altogether." That is, God gives is commands, not because he, as it were, likes green better than purple, but because He loves us, and sin is bad for us. There's not just a debt against him for disobedience, there are the effects in ourselves of our sinfulness, the damage it does to us. The wrath of God is not arbitrary, it's organic, the sin is its own punishment. (This is made very clear in Dante, BTW)
So, when I say to myself, Ow! That is like turning to Jesus. When I go to the Physical Therapy Shoppe that is the healthiest thing I can do when I'm in that state. By analogy I AM Saved. I am saved into the ways of righteousness and healing. But the mode of righteousness and healing at that point is to have medication, exercise, and torture. And now I can enjoy, even after my surgery, doing exercises with dumbbells (no personal remarks please) to stay strong. Just as I am reading my Bible, praying, and, when I can going to Mass and other services with my brethren.
Part of the problem in communication is our fault, in that we use the language of payment and penalty for what I would rather call the "organic" inevitable consequences of sin. So from MY POV it was a blessing that I could go to physical therapy. But, because I "had to" one could describe it as a "penalty" or "price" of my misuse of my body.
Similarly, as I approached this surgery, I knew I would suffer some pain. I wanted God to accept my suffering as an offering. SO I went to confession.
Wow! I saw your hackles rise from here!
See, you think of that as some kind of strange thing, I guess. But for me I got to discuss with a wise, good, and loving friend those things I have done which trouble me in my access to God. (ME, not HIM. God is fine. I tie myself up in knots sometimes though.) I wanted to clear the decks for battle and to make sure I was in good shape for the coming struggle. This wasn't a penalty, not at all. It was a GIFT, and that's how I experienced it. Sure, it had moments where it was like a painfully rough massage, but I left invigorated and strong and ready to cling ever more closely to my loving Lord as we dealt with my silly fears and pains.
Please remember. I am not hoping to persuade you that I am right here. I am trying to convey a concept of purgatory which will help you understand, whether or not you agree, with the distinction between debt and stain, or with how we can think of Purgatory not as a lessening of God's love but as a gift of that love to us.
LOL! This is what my dad was talking about.
Servus Servorum Dei.
Oh, SO I won't be needing the thong then, huh?
[Last year when I did the MS walk I told the deputies that if everyone pledge $25 I'd do it carrying a 35 lbs. pack (which I did.) If everybody pledged $50 I'd do it wearing a thong. If everybody pledged $75 I'd promise NOT to wear a thong. You'd think the $75 pledges would have come rushing in ....]
I love 'em! I just love 'em!
However, I have noticed that there is one very serious fact that practitioners of YOPIOS are generally incapable of grasping:
Though the New Testament was WRITTEN in Greek, the words SPOKEN in the Gospels (and Acts and a few places in the epistles) were in Aramaic. Because Aramaic DOES NOT have certain words that appear in Greek and other words DO NOT literally translate into Greek; and then when some of these Greek words are translated into English there can be other changes. Therefore, there is a tremendous likelihood of misinterpretation which is another reason that Peter's warning was so forceful (2Peter 3:16-17), but unfortunately nearly every practitioner of YOPIOS ignores this warning.
Well, I actually have, over a vacation. It's not a tough read - the book is just narrow, making it appear to be a huge book. It focuses mainly on the creed. And yeah - I've read the whole Baltimore catechism too.
If you're professing a faith, it's good to know what you're professing, I'm sure you would agree.
You posted to me first (#879)! So if you don't want me to answer you, don't post to me, because I will answer.
Sorry I hit a nerve.
That wasn't my intent. Sorry.
I didn't mention Mary - you did. No where did I state that I could look into your heart.
I had to follow this comment all the way back to 738, where you mention who we worship. Since many suggest we worship Mary, I read part of that into your statement (another one of those interpretation thingEys).
He is the Rock. Without Him would you be worshipping Peter?
No - why would I worship a man? I believe that Peter is the Rock, which has been asserted and argued by others. I have no desire to repeat their points, and I'm sure you have read them as well. So, it appears that we must agree to disagree.
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Amen. It took me until my early thirties to understand this interpretation of sin and God's commands. When we speak of "God the Father", I believe this is what it means.
We have disagreements because we INTERPRET what we read in different ways. This happens within the various Prot. denominations as well. So, as I look to others for a deeper understanding of what I read (and not just biblically), I look to the interpretations of a 2000 y.o. Church to assist with my thoughts.
I can't believe that I am the sole authority since I am not infallible. If we're guided by the Holy Spirit, than we cannot all be right. Could this be ego? I don't know.
It borders on condescending when you suggest that we don't read the bible and instead look solely to others for what to believe.
And our doctrine has not changed. If you look at the totality of belief of the denominations in the early 20th century with regard to abortion, birth control, etc. there's a major split. (While some still believe as the Catholic Church does, the numbers are few.)
The Church will not bend to the changing winds of popular thought (although some of the post-VII teachings were incorrectly applied and are starting to change back). If the winds of popular thought don't come straight out of the gates of hell, I don't know what does.
If sola scriptura/YOPIOS worked, there were only be three main Christian divisions, Catholics, Orthodox and Protestant/Lutherans. When the Orthodox broke from Rome, they MAINTAINED Church tradition and today the Vatican will acknowledge that there is substantial communion between Catholics and Orthodox. This is because the Orthodox did not view the Great Schism as a reason to abandon or change over a thousand years of Church teaching.
However, when the Protestant Reformation, everything was "on the table" as far as revision goes and it has remained that way ever since. There are thousands of different groups and sub-groups, none of which can agree with each other. The Reformation has, for lack of a better term, been an exercise in anarchy -- because they have no Apostolic authority, they fight among themselves for authority and it has gotten to the point that anyone who wants can become an "ordained" pastor, raise some money, open up his own church and do as he pleases.
You have to know what God's word says before you can discern between someone's opinion and the facts written in His word. When I read 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, it tells me what the gospel is. Romans 1:16 tells me that I have salvation if I believe the gospel. When I read Ephesians 2:8, it tells me I am saved through faith and that God gave me salvation as a gift. We can argue and discuss all things about our faith but God's word clearly states that we are saved by faith plus nothing. I don't care what church you attend, if they don't teach salvation by faith only; you are in the wrong one. No one church holds the truth.
And 2 Peter 3:16-17 says very clearly that you are doing so at great peril.
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