Apparitions Exposed!

Proclaiming the Gospel ^ | former Director for a "Mary, Queen of Peace Center."

[bkaycee]

Can a born again Christian be a member of a cult and be involved in idol worship? I once thought this was an impossibility until it happened to me. Now I understand why Jesus warned us that, in the end times, there would be an appearance of great signs and miracles that would deceive even the elect, if possible. I confess I have been seduced by signs and miracles associated with apparitions of Mary, and I offer my testimony so others may be warned and delivered.

Until recently I was serving as Director of Public Relations for the Queen of Peace Center in Dallas, Texas. This non-profit organization disseminates information and messages from Marian apparitions in Medjugorje and around the world. I co-authored a full page ad that was published in the June 25, 1993, Dallas Morning News at a cost of $10,000. This add announced "Mary's" prescription for peace and listed locations of her recent appearances. It also listed phone numbers to call for up-to-day recorded messages of Mary's latest apparitions, such as the one in Dallas (214) 233-MARY. I once thought it was special to be the only non-Catholic on the Queen of Peace board . . . that is, until I met Mike Gendron and his wife, Jane.

A Divine Appointment

Neighbors and close friends of mine knew I was seriously contemplating becoming Roman Catholic. They told me that Mike had been a Roman Catholic for 37 years and was now a pastor at a non-denominational church in the Dallas area. They said he understood many of the issues involved in being Roman Catholic and could help me with my decision. I looked forward to meeting both Mike and his wife, not for my sake, but for theirs. I felt certain the information I had collected about "Our Lady's apparitions" in Medjugorje would surely lead them back home to the "true" (Roman Catholic) church. Providentially it appeared, I attended a Queen of Peace board meeting the night before we met and asked the board to pray for this lost pastor and his wife, who had fallen away. When I arrived at their door the next morning, I first introduced myself, before returning to my car for the large stack of books and newspapers I had brought to persuade them. The materials would help explain what was happening in Medjugorje and how the Virgin Mary would help change their lives.

Confronted by Contradictions

After we met, they showed me a film titled Catholicism: Crisis of Faith. This film lovingly and objectively contrasted how the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church contradicts the teachings of the Sacred Scriptures. Mike would stop the film after each segment for my questions and comments. Initially, I was argumentative and felt uneasy and rather adamant about what I was witnessing. Mike realized he had forgotten to pray before starting the film and asked if we could ask God to make His truth clear, and that all deception would be exposed. After the prayer my whole countenance changed.

Each question I asked, Mike validated his answers using Vatican II documents and an official Roman Catholic catechism. It was amazing to me how Roman Catholic teaching contradicts the very Word of God. Question after question, he would bring the Bible over to me and knell to show me verses in context. His servant's demeanor and patient, understanding heart helped in unraveling falsehood after falsehood. There wasn't a question I could have asked him that would have provoked anger. As a reflection of our Lord, this man allowed Jesus to pull the scales away from my eyes.

There were three things in the film and our discussion that were most alarming to me. First, a church in South America has Mary placed on a crucifix rather than Christ. It reminded me of my visit to Our Lady of Guadeloupe Cathedral in downtown Dallas where Mary is positioned as the focal point at the alter and the crucifix is placed in another part of the church. These two scenes made me realize idolatry is practiced within the church.

Second, the Roman Catholic Catechism by Rev. William Cogan, now in its 44th year of print, has altered the 10 commandments of God. The 2nd commandment given to Moses reads, "You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or in the earth beneath or in the water under the earth" (Exodus 20:4). The Roman Catholics have deleted this commandment but still came up with ten by splitting the 10th one into two separate commands. "You shall not covet your neighbor's good; and you shall not covet your neighbor's wife" (Exodus 20:17). I was reminded of the scriptural warnings for those who add to or subtract from the Bible.

Third, Mike told me the only place in the Bible in which the queen of heaven was referred to was in the Book of Jeremiah. He encouraged me to study the passage and it would expose another false doctrine concerning Mary. Anyone who is familiar with the prayers and meditations of the rosary can tell you that in one of the mysteries Christ supposedly crowned Mary the queen of heaven after she was assumed into heaven. Neither of these events have scriptural validity, but I had decided to blindly accept these doctrines because all of the other meditations on the life of Christ were verified by Scripture.

The Queen of Heaven

After returning home, I looked in the Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible for the passage in Jeremiah 44. Here, the Lord was angered by the wickedness of the people choosing to serve other gods. The people refused to listen to the Lord. Instead, they would "burn sacrifices to the Queen of Heaven and pour out libations to her." The woman "made for her sacrificial cakes in her image and poured out libations to her?" (Jeremiah 44:17, 19).

In Hebrew the word for queen has reference to "the heavenly handiwork" or "the stars of heaven." The reference might be to Ishtar, the goddess of love and fertility, who is identified with the Venus Star and is actually entitled "Mistress of Heaven." (The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, p. 975)

My head was spinning and filled with questions after reading this. Doesn't Mary usually appear with stars for her crown? Who then is the woman in Revelation 12:3-6? And most importantly, why would the Roman Catholic Church give the mother of Jesus the title of a pagan goddess? Had I been promoting the ministry of a pagan goddess whose messages were inconsistent with the Bible? Indeed her messages do contradict the Bible. In fact, she speaks of another gospel, another plan of salvation that nullifies and opposes the all sufficient sacrifice of Jesus. The apparition of Fatima said, "You have seen Hell where the souls of poor sinners go, so save them, God wishes to establish in the world, devotion to my Immaculate Heart." The apostle Paul condemned anyone, even an angel from heaven, who would dare preach a different way to be saved other than through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ (Galatians 1:6-10).

As for the woman described in Revelation, she is not Mary, the mother of Jesus, but God's chosen people, the Jews. When the passage in chapter 12 is read in context with the rest of the book, and Genesis 37:9-10, this clearly refers to the nation Israel. God fulfills His promise to the Jews, by protecting them in the desert during 3 1/2 years of tribulation.

I later realized my prayers to Mary and the saints, the reciting of rosaries and chaplets of divine mercy, and the wearing of Marian medals and scapulars had taken my focus off of Jesus. I had allowed doctrines of the Roman Catholic church to do the very thing Saint Paul warned against, "But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ." (2 Cor. 11:3).

An Angel of Light

Recently, a person whom I love dearly, and who has a "Marian devotion" asked me, "Why are you bothering the people who are already good people instead of worrying about those who are lost?" The answer came to me the other evening as the Lord continues to guide me through His sacred Word. Saint Paul wrote that "Satan masquerades as an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14). We know the mother of Jesus would never oppose her Son, and since the apparitions do just that, they could very well be Satan masquerading as Mary. Saint Paul also wrote, "Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them . . . everything exposed by the light becomes visible" (Ephesians 5:11-14). Therefore, I feel called to expose these attempts by the evil one to divert people's devotion away from Jesus. The most authoritative way to do this is with the light of God's Holy Word. My new test for truthfulness is -- if it does not agree with the Scriptures then it must be rejected.

Freedom in the Truth

Now that I have torn down the altar in my bedroom, where I knelt and prayed to St. Anthony of Padua each night, and now that I have placed my rosaries, scapular and medals away, I have found a new freedom. The truth really does set people free! I have found special peace in knowing Jesus alone is my Savior, and not co-redemptrix with His mother. The Holy Spirit continues to lead me into all truth and is now the only teacher I need (1 John 2:27).

To all my precious friends who I have encouraged to seek Mary and to obey the misleading messages of her apparitions, I pray these Scriptures would minister to you -- "And it came about while He said these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, 'Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts at which you nursed.' But He said, 'On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the Word of God and observe it." (Luke 11:27-28)

This article was submitted by a former Director for a "Mary, Queen of Peace Center."

[Quix]

Sooooooooo

IN PRACTICE . . .

how MUCH DISTANCE, DIFFERENCE

is there

FUNCTIONALLY,

day to day

between

REQUIRED

and

FULL COURT PRESS RELENTLESSLY (in a thousand ways) ENCOURAGED?

[knarf]

You're all missing my point.I was born in '48 and all through the 50's and 60's I had no explanation of anything ... and chances are ... neither did you.

We all did what we were told.

No one I knew ever wanted to comprehend the theological aspects of anything ... we did what we were told to do/memorize.

NOW we're adults ... NOW we research and analyze ... not then

The first indoctrination was be a Catholic ... not a Christian.

Fact is ... I never heard Catholics refered to as Christian until relatively recently ... maybe the last 20 years or so.

[Quix]

I’m sure many of your RC cohorts would agree with you.

[lastchance]

If I have cohorts I demand a lair. A lair with minions if you please.

[lastchance]

How do you get a whole section like that to link?

[Carpe Cerevisi]

You're all missing my point.I was born in '48 and all through the 50's and 60's I had no explanation of anything ... and chances are ... neither did you.

No, I'm not missing anything. I'm simply try to charitably point out your errors. I am a convert and came into the Catholic church thirteen years ago yesterday; unfortunately instruction of the faith has been has been regretfully less than stellar the last 40 years or so, if not longer.

[Zionist Conspirator]

Should I call you brother ... or cousin ?

After all .. we ARE related through Adam and Eve ... right?

I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think Campion believes in Adam and Eve. I apologize if I'm mistaken here.

Campion?

[knarf]

" .. unfortunately instruction of the faith has been has been regretfully less than stellar the last 40 years or so, if not longer."

Perhaps because there was a willing congregation uninterested in what may be true or not, and lived blindly because "that's the way it's always been"

I DID question authority.

I DID turn on, tune in and drop out.

I DID survive and I found salvation in Jesus alone by grace, through faith without doing ANYthing except asking Him to save me.

My prayer for salvation was hardly eloquent, but it was sincere .. not because I had been taught or indoctrinated, rather ... because all teaching and indoctrination had failed me.

Lord have mercy on me ... a sinner.

[Zionist Conspirator]

If I have cohorts I demand a lair. A lair with minions if you please.

Minions are good, but minyans are better!

[JSDude1]

Recently, a person whom I love dearly, and who has a “Marian devotion” asked me, “Why are you bothering the people who are already good people instead of worrying about those who are lost?” The answer came to me the other evening as the Lord continues to guide me through His sacred Word. Saint Paul wrote that “Satan masquerades as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14). We know the mother of Jesus would never oppose her Son, and since the apparitions do just that, they could very well be Satan masquerading as Mary. Saint Paul also wrote, “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them . . . everything exposed by the light becomes visible” (Ephesians 5:11-14). Therefore, I feel called to expose these attempts by the evil one to divert people’s devotion away from Jesus. The most authoritative way to do this is with the light of God’s Holy Word. My new test for truthfulness is — if it does not agree with the Scriptures then it must be rejected.

WHAT A GOOD ASSESSMENT.

[Quix]

LOL

[Quix]

Please educate me on the diff.

[editor-surveyor]

>> “Are you now the Religion Moderator?” <<

.
Heaven forbid!

I have to commend the RM for his patience in running heard over this pack of whiney papists.

[lastchance]

Yes. One would think dealing with the know nothing party would take up all of his time.

[Zionist Conspirator]

Please educate me on the diff.

Um . . . what "diff?"

Are you referring to my pun on "minions" and "minyans?" Surely you got that one.

"Minions" are a villain's henchmen (watch more cartoons, Quix!). A minyan is a prayer quorum of ten circumsized Jews before public worship, Torah reading, etc., can take place.

[Rashputin]

What a perfect example of someone applying "The Lego Block Method of Interpretation" where they take whatever verse or group of words they please out of context and string them together with whatever else suits their preconception at the moment.

It's gotten very, very, clear to me how wise those who put the CCC together were and why it goes into such great detail on everything leading up to each point. It has to in order to counteract the tens of thousands of errant interpretations people spin out each and every day to suit themselves.

Twenty seconds in any search engine shows what Church dogma is, including the FACT that the Church teaches the sacrifice of Christ is complete, sufficient, and that no one can add to it. We, as Mary did, can cooperate with Christ, but we cannot add to anything He does nor can we in any way obtain salvation other than through Christ alone.

CCC 454

The title "Son of God" signifies the unique and eternal relationship of Jesus Christ to God his Father: he is the only Son of the father (Jn 1:14,18; 3:16, 18); he is God himself (Jn 1:1) To be a Christian, one must believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

CCC 455

The Title "Lord" indicates divine sovereignty. To confess or invoke Jesus as Lord is to believe in his divinity. "No one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit".(I Cor 12:3)

CCC 618

The cross is the unique sacrifice of Christ, the "one mediator between God and men."(I Tim 2:5) ...

Obviously, those who are deliberately trying to keep others from recognizing His One True Church will apply their usual technique of taking things out of context or pretending that anything not explained in a single sentence is an error.

Anyone who is honestly interested can read the CCC with their Bible handy to keep up with the thousands of Scripture references it makes and see the truth. That truth is that the Catholic teaches the same three things that the Protestant evangelicals claim make for a Christian Church, Salvation by Grace alone, through Faith alone, in Christ alone. The only difference is that the Catholic Church believes the WHOLE Scripture and recognizes that Faith without works is dead, dead, dead, and dead. What meager bits of effort Protestants like to scream and wave their "works salvation" banner over pale by comparison to the work of actually taking the first step and accepting that Christ is the Lord. If taking that step is not work, than nothing the Church teaches is a work either.

[Antoninus]

Until recently I was serving as Director of Public Relations for the Queen of Peace Center in Dallas, Texas. This non-profit organization disseminates information and messages from Marian apparitions in Medjugorje and around the world.

The Church has never endorsed the so-called apparitions at Medjugorje. Most Catholics I know consider them to be fraudulent. That said, there is nothing in Scripture that demands that all such apparitions need be fraudulent. Christians have been having visions of Christ since St. Paul and apparitions of the Blessed Virgin go back a long ways as well.

It seems to me that to deny outright that such things could happen puts a limit on the power of God.

[Rashputin]

"That’s the damning belief of millions."

NO PROBLEM !!! I bought a hankie a pentacoastal intercessor prayed and wept over so it'll be just fine.

[PetroniusMaximus]

“What a perfect example of someone applying “The Lego Block Method of Interpretation””

Friend, what YOU'VE got is a “Lego Block Theology”.

Regarding: “CCC 618 The cross is the unique sacrifice of Christ, the “one mediator between God and men.”(I Tim 2:5) ...”

See...

8. The power thus put into her hands is all but unlimited. How unerringly right, then, are Christian souls when they turn to Mary for help as though impelled by an instinct of nature, confidently sharing with her their future hopes and past achievements, their sorrows and joys, commending themselves like children to the care of a bountiful mother. How rightly, too, has every nation and every liturgy without exception acclaimed her great renown, which has grown greater with the voice of each succeeding century. Among her many other titles we find her hailed as “our Lady, our Mediatrix,”[3] “the Reparatrix of the whole world,”[4] “the Dispenser of all heavenly gifts.”[5]

Source: ADIUTRICEM (On the Rosary), Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII, promulgated on September 5, 1895.

[Quix]

Figured it had to be something along those lines.

Just not that up on such details.

Thx.

BTW, I didn’t realize there had to be such a quorum. I hope they don’t have to inspect the circumcision every time!