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."

[wmfights]

Orthodox Presbyterians, especially ministers and elders, strongly disagree with Baptists on their view of baptism, though they recognize sincere Baptists as brothers and sisters in Christ. One thing we don’t hear from our pulpits is tirades against Baptists and their doctrine of “believers’ baptism.” It does no good to our concerns for brotherly love among believers and grieves those who might have friends or relatives who are Baptists.”

http://www.opc.org/qa.html?question_id=282

Thanks.

Dr.E. and I argue at length about Baptism, but we always know we are Brothers and Sisters in Christ. It's great to see RC's start to understand that for us it's our faith that unites us not membership in a church. We always pray that someday RC's will come to believe in The Gospel and join us.

[Mad Dawg]

My first foray here involved watching a Gatsbyesque participant lie about Catholic doctrine. Within a short while the same person suggested that my eyewitness testimony was not to be believed without corroboration.

By way of contrast, in my early years here, before I knew what a Caucus was, I blundered onto a Protestant Caucus thread about whether the teaching on predestination encouraged laziness. I don't subscribe to the popular notion of predestination but I've thought about it for 45+ years, since I read an essay by Sidney Hook when I was 16.

So I posted my thoughts that logically one would be predestined to laziness or industry, and that Spiritually the confidence that God had chosen one for Himself would IMHO tend to give the kind of joy and peace that overflows into works of love.

Note: this is a comment on a doctrine I don't hold. I was thanked for being open to thinking about the idea and advised what a “caucus” was.

I long for, hoped for, that sort of discussion of the central ideas of our faith. But what I found was not just ignorance of Catholic teaching but a positive aversion to learning about it. I found mountains of sophistries. I found terms of abuse. Above all I found a zero-sum-game approach to Christian “fellowship” with people (on either side) all too willing to say others aren't Christian.

This has been one of the nagging riddles and sorrows of my life. I am GLAD I have a splitting headache today after a sleepless night so that perhaps a loving God who, like all good Fathers, shares his work with his sons even when they're terrible at it, will let me offer this blinding ache (which is now fading, praise IHS!) for his children on the RF.

All this, “I belong to Paul,” “I to Apollos,” “I to Christ,” “I to Luther” “I to Darby,” ... We ALL have ample scriptural warning to avoid just this sort of thing.

The question then becomes will we,CAN we “fight for peace”? CAN we just ask one another to shut up, to LISTEN, REALLY listen, (which always implies a certain placing in hock of cherished notions, at least for the duration of the discussion.)

Part of the point of my comparison with Islam is precisely that I have found some Catholics but many, many non-Catholics who seem to think that real conversation with others would be somehow morally contaminating. I feel a little like Francis of Assissi (can't spell) who was allowed to address some Muslim leader (was it Saladin?) because the Muslims thought his fervor meant he was a lunatic and therefore under Allah's protection.

In any event, you have come late to this very unpleasant family. To me, personally, the sophistries, lies, and condemnations are FAR more scandalous than a little juvenile word play. YMMV. But from where I sit, Notwithstanding is acting like a human back board. Just as the non-Catholics have returned my most irenic questions by calling me an idolator outside the Spirit, ntwthstndng gives a ludicrously formulaic denunciation in return for posts by non-Catholics.
Incidentally, I think it is important that the same non-Catholics who earnestly deny meaning any of the abuse and denunciations personally seem very personally wounded by ntwthstndng's posts.

I guess a part of me thinks that ntwthstnding should stand down now. The point has been clearly made. But the response tells me that he whose wrath is great because he knows his time is short is still prince of the RF.

For MY parting zinger: with the exception of some non-Catholics whom I can count on one hand, men and women open to the Love and who seek to enjoy, serve, and glorify him with the constant renewal of their minds, I would see little difference between leaving the Catholic Church and giving myself a lobotomy while snorting meth.

[Quix]

Promises Promises.

[metmom]

A thousand thanks for that lovely understanding in fellowship and the freedom of the Christian conscience.

After all, the body of Christ is not one part, as Paul, that excellent theologian stated in 1 Corinthians 12. For example, here we see the unity of those who have faith in Christ alone for salvation.....

1 Corinthians 12:1-3

1Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. 3Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says "Jesus is accursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit.

And then the distinctions which God has granted the church to prevent if from becoming stagnant of ingrown and ineffective.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

4Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

While some people see denominationalism as divisive, since they perform different functions within the body, they serve a purpose. People can affiliate themselves with whatever denomination works best with their gifts and skills.

1 Corinthians 12:12-20 12For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body— Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

14For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

Or perhaps one could say *If the Baptist should say, "Because I am not a Pentecostal, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body.*

Or even if the Methodist should say, *Because you're not a Methodist, you're not a part of the body, the Baptist would not cease being part of the body.*

Everyone is accountable to God for their relationship with Him and while if they claim to be Christian and have no fruit to prove it, it's a reasonable conclusion that they are not Christian, the same cannot be said of denominations. Just because someone attends a church that is Pentecostal, or Baptist, or OPC, or whatever, doesn't mean they're not Christian.

Our unity is in faith in Christ alone for salvation as individuals, not the style of worship music we prefer, or if we like to raise our hands during worship or not.

[Notwithstanding]

She’s just trying to help, you know.

Concerned for you, and all.

Really wants you to ggve it your best, even if it is voodoo.

[RnMomof7]

Yes...because it is nothing more than words..

Matthew7: 21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

[Judith Anne]

We always pray that someday RC's will come to believe in The Gospel and join us.

Another falsehood. If by "RC's" you mean to say Catholics, we already believe in the gospel. Just not in the heretical and myriad self-interpretations so rampant in the cults.

As for joining you (plural), why would we do that, when we have the real deal? The Lord Jesus Christ, Risen Son of the Living Almighty God and Savior of the World, wholly God and wholly man, joins us in the mass every day. Who needs cults/sects/heretics?

[Notwithstanding]

I am betting Reggie won’t apologize.

[Judith Anne]

Yes...because it is nothing more than words..

You cannot know the state of mind of the poster/speaker of those words. To make a lame attempt to do so is "mind-reading" and is forbidden on the Religion Forum. Since you (plural) like to stand in for the Religion Mod, perhaps you could admonish yourselves.

[Quix]

Will try to get to this tonight when I get home.

Sometimes you have written brilliant and fitting pieces with passion yet without personal pique and rancor.

I haven't found most of your posts on this thread rising to that standard.

[RnMomof7]

Our unity is in faith in Christ alone for salvation as individuals, not the style of worship music we prefer, or if we like to raise our hands during worship or not.

As one that raises her hands it worship to God.. I want to say Amen Sister.. Worship is not about us.. it is about God, it is for God.. so the style or type of worship is unimportant ... The important thing is that we praise and thank our God and that His work is expounded like a steak ...real meat that one chews on for days after the service..

[Quix]

INDEED.

[Notwithstanding]

1. Cigar night here in town is on Thurdays. I hope you stop by some day. It would be a great time and you would enjoy meeting my friends.

2. What a great post.

3. This is a classic: “With the exception of some non-Catholics whom I can count on one hand, men and women open to the Love and who seek to enjoy, serve, and glorify him with the constant renewal of their minds, I would see little difference between leaving the Catholic Church and giving myself a lobotomy while snorting meth.”

[Notwithstanding]

Your sect if filled with bloviating jackasses.

[roamer_1]

Careful, Roamer, it’s starting to foam at the mouth. ;o)

STARTING? it seems to me that "waxing apoplectic" occurred long ago... :D

[Notwithstanding]

Sounds a bit like cannibalism, your sect’s practice of eating God like steak.

[wmfights]

...we already believe in the gospel.

What is The Gospel that RC's believe?

[Notwithstanding]

Matthew
Mark
Luke
John

and Acts and Revelation

[Notwithstanding]

Only a person from a loony sect would ask.

[count-your-change]

You are not alone. But it does show what is considered “Christian” today.