Posted on 02/01/2012 3:38:01 PM PST by NYer
I remember coloring in the lions on the paper my Catechism teacher had handed out. The lions in the coliseum were approaching a group of huddled Catholics.
My CCD teacher asked us if we too were willing to suffer for our faith the way the martyrs of old did? I remember looking at those cartoon lions and deciding that yes, I very much had the stuff to stare down a cartoon lion. Easy.
But it’s easy to answer in the affirmative when we’re talking about cartoon lions. It’s different when we’re talking real life. Real lions have teeth.
And make no mistake, real life is what we’re talking now. We have a government that mandates what pro-life counselors must say. We have a government now that mandates that Catholic institutions pay for things it considers sinful. We have a government that now says the cost of being an American is to abandon Catholicism.
Bishop Fabian W. Bruskewitz of Lincoln, Nebraska in response to the Obama administration’s contraception mandate said, “We cannot and will not comply with this unjust decree. Like the martyrs of old, we must be prepared to accept suffering which could include heavy fines and imprisonment.”
This scares me but it’s true.
Now is the time when decisions must be made by Catholic college presidents and hospital administrators and the heads of all sorts of Catholic institutions. Should I do what the government tells me or what the Church tells me is right? Some whom we have great hope for will choose poorly. Some will stand up unexpectedly and refuse to comply with the government. And they will pay a price for being Catholic.
We’re no longer talking about the slippery slope here. We’ve walked off a cliff. We’re in free fall.
(Excerpt) Read more at ncregister.com ...
Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 is Christ in his own WORD listing the 7 trumps/7 seals 7 vials. Notice Christ himself said there would be wars and rumors of wars Matthew 24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be NOT troubled:
for all these things must come to pass *BUT* the end is not yet.
So if the 'wars and rumors of wars' are NOT the end, what is the opposite of 'wars and rumors of wars'..... We hear the cry all the time for 'peace' 'peace' peace'. Christ made the prophets one and the same as the Gospel. He quoted Isaiah, Daniel, David, Moses and then we have Jeremiah who penned the following:
Jeremiah 6:13 For from the least of them (got to read the prior verses to find out who the them are) even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.
They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of My People slightly, saying 'Peace, peace;' when there is no peace.
15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush:
therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down," saith the LORD.
This earth is not going to get burned up, only the 'rudiments' elements of the rebels.
Did not Daniel warn about the abomination of desolation? Well who is the abominable one to God. Why it is the old devil himself, and the devil tempted Christ, twisting the Scripture to get Christ to bend a knee to him. This did not happen because there was a remote possibility Christ would ever be enticed but for a warning to us what we can expect the source of the deception.
You ain't seen nothing yet! How about 50 foot giants running around eating people. Every monster in the movies coming to life?
Join the crowd. Although I have never physically killed someone, there is the heart issue that Jesus refers to. As for the rest, guilty.... Matter of fact, I STILL struggle with keeping most of them. (In my heart)
I was talking with some co-workers one day about that topic, how the heart could be just as much sin as the actions and one person, who made no claim to being a Christian, did provide tremendous insight. He said that's because it's all a matter of self-control. Some people just have more self-control, enough to not act out on their impulses.
Just spare me a thought once you get up there, OK :) Figure I’ll need all the help I can get. Besides - could I really miss a fight?
I'll be praying for you NOW. There's more than enough warfare going on here on the spiritual level to engage in. It's really a matter of becoming aware of it.
Ephesians 6:10-18 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,...
Prayer is a powerful weapon with which to wage spiritual warfare with.
And I know you've done your share when things were coming apart in England a few months ago. A lot of us were praying for you then.
The real battle is with the spiritual forces behind the terrorists and those who we call enemies (like liberals and the liberal mindset). They are after men's souls for eternity. It's really eye opening when you realize that the unseen spiritual realities are more significant than our present material reality.
And, though you don’t like this aspect - May the Virgin receive you into His blessing. (it doesn’t hurt, and you have helped me)
I really do appreciate you sentiment. I know you're doing out of sincerity of heart.
God is a warrior, you know....
Exodus 15:3 The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name.
2 peter 3:10-13 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Colossians 1:17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
After discussing this with a friend who holds your position, I decided to do some research into the Greek on the passage in Peter. The word *dissolve* means *(a) I loose, untie, release,*.
http://concordances.org/greek/3089.htm
I think God is going to literally remake creation without corruption from sin in it. New material, new laws governing it.
The battle is not against other human beings, like muslims for instance, but 4th dimensional entities. All we need offensively is the sword of the spirit which is THE WORD OF GOD.
Which is why it's the FIRST thing Satan goes after when attacking Christians and trying to deceive. Misquoting and misapplying Scripture is his most effective weapon.
Two points.
One is that nobody is not calm.
The other is that somethings ARE important but some things are worth pushing for.
Seeing someone commit what can be clearly interpreted as idolatry and breaking the second commandment is worth getting riled up about. If we saw someone committing a murder or adultery, we’d certainly point it out as well, as with any other sin. That;s what we are to do as Christians, warn people.
It’s God’s word that says not to bow down to images. It’s talking about the physical act so all the excuses about how it’s not really worship simply do not ring true. Catholics can try to justify it all they want, but the plain fact is bowing down is bowing down and can be seen as a clear and deliberate act on the part of the person, motive notwithstanding.
Lera, we may never agree on doctrine. Probably won’t to be honest! We are different people with different exposure to The Word. Different lives.
But I see you in shining armor, fighting for the Lord. Different battalion maybe, but the same general and the same war. I will cover your back any time, and have you at my back any time.
Sure, we will tangle swords again. You are totally honest in your belief and love of God. That shines through in you posts.
Me too. We believe slightly differently.
If I can remember (been a while) ....
May He bless you and keep you and his glory shine upon you.
Seeing someone commit what can be clearly interpreted as idolatry and breaking the second commandment is worth getting riled up about.
Seconded. That is wrong. Totally.
Reverencing the object is a sin. What I been saying all along. Using it as a focus is not. The commandment tells us that.
God’s commands come first. Even a Catholic knows that!
The command is to not bow.
If someone bows, they are bowing.
I am making no judgment on motive or intent, I’m strictly going by actions which can be seen.
If God says, *Do not bow* and someone bows, that is disobeying, no matter what’s going through their mind.
It’s no different than stealing or lying. Stealing is taking something that does not belong to you. End of story. If I hear someone lie, I can determine that (provided I know the truth, like when my kids would try to pull that), I can make that determination.
If God had simply *Do not worship* graven images, then Catholics could argue the case that they weren’t worshiping it because nobody knows the intent of the heart, and they would have a valid point. But since God said *Do not bow*, there’s far less wiggle room to deny it when you see someone bowing.
For Christians, Jesus Christ is their deep source of Joy.
No human pagan corporation like the Roman catholic ‘church’ can be a source of joy for a Christian.
Nay, intent is all.
I go into church. Kneel and cross myself at the first glimpse of the altar. Am I worshipping a block of stone and some cloth?
No.
I am simply being respectful to it, the altar is where the host is. It is like taking your hat off when you step through the door of a home. Simple respect.
Do a fair amount of work with Japanese too. When I bow am I worshipping them as a god? Or simply being polite?
Really hope it is not the worship one, the Japanese are arrogant enough!
I will and frequently do give the statue of our church’s patron saint a nod and a sketchy salute as I leave mass. A nod is technically a small bow - am I committing idolatry or being respectful.
Should we two meet in the street, I would probably raise my hat and nod to you (ok, old fashioned but how I was raised). Would that make you a god?
Intent is all.
I’d be the last person to deny that there are Catholics who basically worship the Virgin or various saints. They are going to get a nasty shock down the line. That breaks the FIRST commandment. It be first for a reason.
Yet though our First commandment states: “You shall have no other gods before me,” there is nothing about graven images. (We sort of work more from Deuteronomy than Exodus) Our second is your third. We lose the graven image commandment completely and double down on the coveting one. Catholic church is odd like that - figure it was a way to prevent robbery of the church.
We are constantly told in Mass that the figure is not the reality. The statue is not the saint, the cross is not Jesus. Get tired of hearing it sometimes, to be honest, I am not dumb. But it must be repeated, because it is not in our commandments!
Yet people err. Our religion was designed for illiterate peasants, a little like the teachings of our saviour, which were presented as songs or stories or pictures in glass.
Yours was created after literacy became more widespread, when people could read the word for themselves. Makes a huge difference.
Me, I like the second commandment as the Protestants lay it out. It is right there - the image is not the thing, so don’t go worshipping it. Unarguable. And it combines 9 and 10 into a neat bundle.
Just not Catholic cannon.
I disagree friend.
“Where you gather in my name, there I am.”
The joy is there, and a deep peace and contentment.
"We will not be silent."
Looks like our time has come.
But catholics do not gather in his name; they gather in Ishtar/Mary’s name, and violate every thing he said to do and not to do.
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