Posted on 04/12/2011 7:55:27 AM PDT by 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."
It appears that God appointed Nestor to bring the truth to the deeply defiled Roman ‘church’ but they instead attacked God’s messenger.
There is no hint anywhere in the scriptures that anyone will meet Mary at the moment of his/her death...
There was nothing personal in that post.
Isn't that the usual prelude to a "Proddy" crowd showing up and beating on the abuse button?
Are you now the Religion Moderator?
To me, it was personal.
Not patient at all just too aware that fortunes in this forum favor the attackers.
I am a she by the way.
God bless.
Have trouble with hyperbole much? As Protestants are fond of reminding us, Paul calls his readers "saints". What does "saint" mean? "Holy one".
The eternal God can have no mother
So is Jesus not really God, or was he not really born in a human nature? Pick your heresy.
Mary confessed to the angel that she needed a savior, thus a flesh and blood sinner
Nothing like that is in Scripture. Mary said, under inspiration, that God was her Savior, not that she needed a Savior (implying that she did not then have one). Big, big difference.
He was a disciple of the church at Antioch, which was formed by persecuted followers of jesus and it was THEY that were first called Christian.
I'm not sure what the heresy of Nestor (?) was because it is clothed in miles of history.
It seems though to be around his belief that Jesus is true man as well as true God.
I would believe that if it we were talking about an ex-Muslim.
While I presume you are correct, and that the commandment listed 1st here is meant to incorporate the section about idols, the site implies that the text of the commandment as taught would not include the term about idols.
- I am the LORD your God. You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.
- You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
- Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.
- Honor your father and your mother.
- You shall not kill.
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not steal.
- You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
- You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.
- You shall not covet your neighbor's goods.
Both the Exodus and Deuteronomy passages include the text about idols, and it is true that most christian faiths break out the idol text as the 2nd commandment. In fact, I was unaware that the Catholic Church did it differently. Also, it appears the Jewish faith for which the 10 commandements were originally given counts the Idol text as the 2nd commandment, but only because they cound "I am the lord your God" as a commandment, and then lump "no other gods" and "idols" together.
I know that the PCA church, at least in some of their specific churches, put a good bit of emphasis on idol worship -- my particular church for example will not have pictures of Jesus, or endorse films depicting him (can't say I agree with that).
So, in light of my meager investigation, could you clarify your point about the difference between the 10 commandments and how it doesn't actually change anything?
Have you any idea whatsoever what the Nestorian heresy is? I’ll be brief. From the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry:
“Nestorianism is the error that Jesus is two distinct persons.
The problem with Nestorianism is that it threatens the atonement. If Jesus is two persons, then which one died on the cross? If it was the “human person” then the atonement is not of divine quality and thereby insufficient to cleanse us of our sins.”
CARM is not a Catholic site so I trust the source will suit. Here is their statement Jesus Saves.
And it carries the official sanctions of:
ni•hil ob•stat
n.
1. Roman Catholic Church An attestation by a church censor that a book contains nothing damaging to faith or morals.
2. Official approval, especially of an artistic work.
WITH RICHARD CARDINAL CUSHING’S IMPRIMATUR
No one belittled Mary, unless of course someone sees Mary as a goddess...
I KNOW that Christ does not. People who do not honor Christ’s mother will suffer his just judgement.
Apparently you mean, as the Christ crowned Queen of Heaven...
Jesus never mentions any such thing in the scriptures...In fact, Jesus does his best to steer us away from any kinds of ideas we may have that lean in that direction...
We are in no kind of judgment for not placing Mary on the pedestal that you guys have placed her on...
The “Our Father” is also said, and so is the “Apostles Creed”. People can add their own prayers or reflections in between. They also reflect on parts of the “Stations of the Cross” or stages of the life, death, rising again, and ascension of the Lord!
I should have also noted that earlier Judaic traditions listed the Idol text as the 2nd commandment, much as other protestant churches do. Also, there is a good deal of text about how the “first 4 commandments” deal with God’s relationship with man — clearly that wouldn’t be the case in the Catholic version, as it is only the 1st three.
It is also interesting that, as a child growing up Lutheran, I believe I was taught the Catholic version. But when I list them now, I list them in the more traditional protestant form, with Idol being it’s own, and the covet being the last. However, when I do, I always remember thinking that Covet was really TWO, because of my early childhood training.
See my answer to Editor Surveyor.
Orthodox Christianity both Catholic and Protestant believe that Jesus Christ is one person with two natures. This is known as the Hypostatic Union.
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/what-is-the-hypostatic-union
I think the above site is named after John Piper’s book. So I’ll assume it is vetted by Protestants.
What’s your point Quix? That book, nor any other Catholic teaching affirms a belief in Marian apparitions as a requirement of salvation. Marian apparitions are approved by the Church only as ‘worthy of believe’. Catholics are free to believe or to disbelieve as they see fit.
We always learned it as part of “You shall not have any gods before me. You shall make no graven images.”
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