Posted on 04/30/2010 8:03:48 AM PDT by Quix
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7 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! 9 Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, --New Living Translation 7And when you pray, do not heap up phrases (multiply words, repeating the same ones over and over) as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard for their much speaking. [I Kings 18:25-29.] 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. 9Pray, therefore, like this: 15But if you do not forgive others their trespasses [their [j]reckless and willful sins, [k]leaving them, letting them go, and [l]giving up resentment], neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses. --Amplified Pray with Simplicity 5"And when you come before God, don't turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat? 6"Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace. 7-13"The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this: 16-18"When you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don't make a production out of it. It might turn you into a small-time celebrity but it won't make you a saint. If you 'go into training' inwardly, act normal outwardly. Shampoo and comb your hair, brush your teeth, wash your face. God doesn't require attention-getting devices. He won't overlook what you are doing; he'll reward you well. |
Mark Kirby: O Mother of Good Counsel, I am all thine, Most Holy Mary, There is no part of my life that is not open to thee, I want to be completely transparent with thee, Praying in this way, I can be at rest, |
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Thx for your humblingly kind words.
Oh I know! No fault on you at all! It just creeps me out to make things up out of whole cloth, and apply it to the Bible - Even when I am pokin' fun. I don't know how other folks do it so easily.
My main beef with any religion - not just Roman Catholic - is that if they have to stretch, twist, snippet, add to, mangle or "interpret" so that it agrees with their specific dogma, and not the other way around, then it is not being honest with God's revealed word.
Absolutely! I am an equal opportunity offender when it comes to traditions over Word... Regardless of denomination or creed.
A good example is the intent of the original post that fostered this thread - Give your all to...?. It is so telling, to me, that certain religious Freepers have to strenuously defend their dogmatic teaching EVEN at the expense of what is clearly stated in scripture for all to see. That we are to "love the Lord our God with ALL our hearts, minds and souls (strength)" and that to him be ALL glory, praise and honor.
It cannot be said any better than that. ALL else is doom. Christian life should be all about releasing one's self from glorifying anything other than God. and in doing so, come ever closer to the freedom that is in Christ.
Didn't think you could argue from Scripture; thanks for the verification.
Given your
skyscraper built on a toothpick splinter
definition of honoring Mummy,
He wasn’t about to be tangled up in such outrageousness.
Except, of course, when he says something that can be mangled to support the edifice on the toothpick splinter.
It cannot be said any better than that. ALL else is doom. Christian life should be all about releasing one’s self from glorifying anything other than God. and in doing so, come ever closer to the freedom that is in Christ.
= =
ABSOLUTELY.
A sister.
Look what Jesus had to say to a woman who tried to honor Mary like you suggest. Luke 11: 27 As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, "Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you." He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."
Matthew 12:46-50 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you."
48He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" 49Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. 50For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."
Mark 3:31-35 Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you." "Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."
Luke 8:19-21 Now Jesus' mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you." He replied, "My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice."
Interesting, This event was recorded in three of the four Gospels. I think someone was trying to make a point. Jesus always downplayed the role His mother had to that of any other ordinary person.
His honoring her as His mother here on earth while He was under her authority as a child, does not mean that we are to honor her in the way that the Catholic church demands and teaches, nor does it justify it.
And Jesus doesn't love her more than us. He can't.
Both Adam and Eve came into the world without sin, so that is not an "attribute that belongs only to Jesus". And Mary's sinlessness comes always and only through the grace purchased by the death of her Son.
She was no taken into heaven without dying.
Strictly speaking, the Church doesn't insist on the "without dying" part.
She does not hear and answer our prayers.
How do you know what the saints in heaven do and don't hear and answer? Have you been there?
And Rome has not changed.
Sorry Bro, not a road paved with anything but crucified Christians. Rome's strength in building an empire was to subjugate, brutally, all opposers, and they lined their Via Appias with our people. We are Israel, they are Esau.
To get the common people on their side (and their ONLY interest was in "tribute" or taxes, to incorporate them and their nations into the beast that was (is) Rome, they practiced syncretism, worship your idols, only, call them by our gods' names, so therefore Venus is Mary, Zeus is God, etc.
AMEN. Every word fact.
Read this informative link by Richard Bennett, former Roman Catholic priest, now reformed Christian, by, for and through the grace of God alone...
PAPAL ROME AND THE EUROPEAN UNION
Here's Richard Bennett's great website, BereanBeacon.org
I’m not interested in the tedious refutation of the hogwash in that post.
Enjoy your fantasies as long as you can.
They aren’t very impressive and neither are your sources to support them.
GREAT DEPICTION.
THX.
Heading to the shower shortly myself.
Which is precisely, and exactly, what we honor in Mary.
And Jesus doesn't love her more than us. He can't.
He's God. He can do whatever he wants.
VERY WELL PUT.
THX.
You’re welcome.
Matthew tells us in his Gospel that Jesus had brothers and sisters and even names the brothers.
Matthew 13:54-56 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?" they asked. "Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren't all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?"
Why is it so important to Catholics to believe that Mary was always a virgin when Scripture teaches that she wasn't?
And why is it so important to Catholics to think and believe that Jesus was an only child?
Exactly. QED.
Well...actually, YES, a VERY nice lady, a great example of faith...but NO, not my "mother in Christ", nor any other Christian's.
Why do you think just because God uses the concept of family of God and him being Our Father and us being his children, brothers and sisters in Christ, that we MUST have a "mother", too? There are plenty of verses where God refers to himself in that figure type as well. I.e.:
Matthew 23:37
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
Likewise, I'm sure. The Catholic church can't say for sure either.
They why do Catholics pray to them? They must believe that they can hear us. Where is that found in Scripture?
Adam and Eve didn’t *come into the world*. They were created by God and put there. It’s not the same as birth.
BZZZTTTTTT.... False premise. God cannot do anything He wants.
You fail logic.
And God is NOT a respecter of persons.
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