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Evangelical Apologist Hank Hanegraaff Converts to Eastern Orthodoxy
religiousresearcher.org ^ | 4-10-2017 | Rob Bowman

Posted on 04/10/2017 6:40:46 PM PDT by fishtank

Evangelical Apologist Hank Hanegraaff Converts to Eastern Orthodoxy

Posted by: Rob Bowman

On Palm Sunday, April 9, 2017, Hank Hanegraaff formally joined the Orthodox Church. Since 1989 Hanegraaff has been the President of the Christian Research Institute (CRI) and (since ca. 1992) the host of CRI’s Bible Answer Man radio program.[1] Hank, his wife Kathy, and two of their twelve children were inducted by a sacramental rite called chrismation into the Orthodox faith at St. Nektarios Greek Orthodox Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, near where CRI is based. In chrismation, a baptized individual is anointed with oil in order to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.[2]

(Excerpt) Read more at religiousresearcher.org ...


TOPICS: Orthodox Christian
KEYWORDS: apostasy; bibleanswerman; easternorthodoxy; hanegraaff; indepth
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To: imardmd1

No visible Church? Then when you have a conflict or dispute, how do you “take it to the church” to be resolved, as Jesus said? How do you “listen” to the Church as Jesus commanded?? Are you listening to a vast number of invisible voices?


541 posted on 04/18/2017 9:05:01 PM PDT by Mrs. Don-o ("If he refuses to listen even to the Church, regard him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.")
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To: ealgeone

I regard Luther as a genuine religious genius, on a par with Joseph Smith and Muhammad: able to smash through older existing forms and harness religious ideas skillfully to the drives and tendencies of a changing society. Like them, he was a borrower, a fixer -— a brilliant breaker/remaker.


542 posted on 04/18/2017 9:13:11 PM PDT by Mrs. Don-o ("If he refuses to listen even to the Church, regard him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.")
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To: MHGinTN
You need to start out by reading the texts of the actual liturgy.

I haven't time time, right now, to do a line-by-line commentary--- I'm in charge of the lessons for the next seven weeks with our n00bie Catholics who were received into the Church at the Easter Vigil--- but if you're actually interested, this is how you can get started:

#509

Want to learn? There's a lot there to engage your inquiring mind.

543 posted on 04/18/2017 9:24:02 PM PDT by Mrs. Don-o ("If he refuses to listen even to the Church, regard him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.")
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To: Mrs. Don-o
You weren't listening. The reference was to a Perfect church. There are lots of imperfect visiuble churches. and that includes all of them.

As far as the other issues:

(1) How do you take a dispute to the church -- . . (a) One kind is covered in Matthew 18:15-17. This does not refer to a global superintending operational staff of an association of local churches.
. . (b) Another is for advice from sister church, as the Antiochans went to the Jerusalemites in Acts 15 regarding circumcision for Gentiles.
. . (c) another is discussed in Galatians 2:15 ff, Where Paul withstood Peter's vacillations, supposedly before the Antioch church body.

(2) "Listen" to the Church -- clearly you automatically are predisposed to think this means to a "Church" operating as a global entity with local outposts on population centers, rather than thinking of a church as just one assembly, one regular gathering of local residents that operates independently of any other such assembly, autonomous and not recognizing denominational ties. A member "hears" the counsel and church discipline of the assembly to which he/she is an integral member; but only selectively to other churches of which he is not a member.

The Catholicity is not the only organizational concept in view, and it is not Biblical, as is the paradign of distrubution of local assemblies that operate quite alike, because their gavernment is Biblical.

(3) A vast number of invisible voices -- I can't even grasp what you are talking about here. No, I do not hear invisible voices.

544 posted on 04/18/2017 10:15:57 PM PDT by imardmd1 (Fiat Lux)
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To: imardmd1
And the interpretation "take not thy spirit from out of me" is not precluded, but "take not the Spirit away from beside me" is possible. But my understanding of OT doctrine is that the Holy Spirit did not indwell any human, from Adam until John Baptist, so I would believe context meant in 1 Samuel 16:13 after Saul's defalcation.

It was John the Baptist's father, Zechariah, who Scripture says: "His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied..." (Luke 1:67). This was prior to the Holy Spirit being sent by Christ to indwell believers. Perhaps as Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit to prophesize, so also may the other Old Testament prophets as well in that they were "carried along by the Holy Spirit" (II Peter 1:21).

We also have other Scripture that tells us of the Holy Spirit speaking through the prophets and even the following which talks about the "Spirit of Christ" being IN them:

Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who foretold the grace that would come to you, searched and investigated carefully, trying to determine the time and setting to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they foretold the things now announced by those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. (I Peter 1:10-12)

The Holy Spirit worked along side and also within certain people of God prior to Pentecost but it is only AFTER Jesus promised the Comforter would come at Pentecost and ever after that the Holy Spirit would indwell and NOT be removed as we are sealed with Him until the day of redemption. Paul spoke of the "the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations but is now revealed to His saints, to whom God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Colossians 1:26,27) Both the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of Christ are said to be IN the prophets of old as well as in believers now. I surmise by these passages that the Holy Spirit at one time COULD be in as well as taken out of/away from certain people but today once we have been indwelt by Him, He will not be removed from within. Paul said it was a "mystery" and that it was.

545 posted on 04/18/2017 10:18:03 PM PDT by boatbums (God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to Him.)
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To: boatbums
You have some good points, in that It must be that I have skipped over without being penetrated by them in readig and studying the New Testament. I appeciatethat you have brought them up. I need to get a better undestanding of this phase of pneumatology, if the Lord permits and opens my eyes.

There are some notes, though , that affect the employment of the passages that you pointed out.

One point is that all the passsages using "the Holy Spirit in them are all from the New Testament, and by witnesses who themselves have the indwelling Holy Spirit guiding them as they write. They are seeing things from a different point of view than the OT prophets, from whom outside of the grammar of the Hebrew of Psalm 51, thatere is no inkling that the Holy Spirit might live in a fallen human's body. Their view needs to be raked over to assimilate heir point of view.

Secondly, there is a period of some 400 years when there was no prophetic voice in the chronology of God's progressive revelation. Therefore there was no living soul outside of Heaven that had actually known the culture of any OT prophet except through their inspired writings. So the expressions in New Testament writings came from a fresh intervention in human affairs. Were Zechariah and Elizabeth aware of personal effects caused by the filling of the Holy Spirit (rhetorical question). And was the filling of them continuous or only momentary? (more rhetoric). We must assume that John, filld with the Spirit from conception, did not know from experience what it is to be "normal."

Which brings up the point that, though his voice was made public later, his actual reception of the Spirit actually preceded that of his mother (how much?) and his fathers (about 9 months. Looking closer, it is seen that Elizabeth was actually the first prophetess of the New Dispensation, for Zechariah had been struck dumb, and she was the one anticipating the mission of the fruit of her womb by announcing the arrival of the prophesied Savior.

Well, it's late for me, so more will be later.

546 posted on 04/19/2017 12:25:56 AM PDT by imardmd1 (Fiat Lux)
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To: Mrs. Don-o
I sure hope they listened to St. John's Apostolic corrections.

It is OBVIOUS that the CATHOLIC teaching they got to begin with was EXTREMELY flawed!

547 posted on 04/19/2017 4:09:52 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Mrs. Don-o
Oil was used in the Bible for anointing of priests, prophets and kings — also for the Messiah.

Oil was used by the Catholic Church to 'correct' heretics.

548 posted on 04/19/2017 4:10:58 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Mrs. Don-o
Blessed oil is not “necessary” for the reception of the Holy Spirit, since “the Spirit bloweth where it listeth”.

However, in Sacramental use the blessed oil effects what it signifies.

James calls this Double Mindedness.

549 posted on 04/19/2017 4:12:14 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Mrs. Don-o
As in any Sacrament, it always requires a humble, willing soul.

 
 
 
 

 
Micah 6:8
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.


John 6:28-29
Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?
 Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."


1 John 3:21-23
Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.
And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.


James 1:27
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
 

 
 
 

550 posted on 04/19/2017 4:13:35 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: editor-surveyor

Watch it!

You are getting MIGHTY close to Mumbo-Jumbo here!


551 posted on 04/19/2017 4:14:26 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: ebb tide
Why am I not surprised?

Uh...

...because in your heart you know it's true?

552 posted on 04/19/2017 4:15:32 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: ebb tide
Satan Hates the Latin Mass

Sounds like a disinformation campaign - a false flag operation - a red herring attempt.


"Get thee behind me, Satan."

553 posted on 04/19/2017 4:17:11 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: ebb tide
The same goes for Lucifer.

Speaking of the Mary that Rome has created...


Ambrose: …constantly pray ‘Open to us, O Mary, the gates of paradise, since thou hast its KEYS.

Anselm: It suffices, O Lady, that thou willest it, and our SALVATION is certain.

Antoninus: …souls protected by Mary, and on which she casts her eyes, are NECESSARILY JUSTIFIED AND SAVED. 

Athanasius: …And, thou, O Lady, wast filled with grace, that thou mightiest be the way of our SALVATION and the means of ascent to the heavenly Kingdom.

Bernadine: …all gifts, all virtues, and all graces are dispensed by the hands of Mary to whomsoever, when, and as she pleases. O Lady, since thou art the dispenser of all graces, and since the grace of salvation can ONLY come through thy hands, OUR SALVATION DEPENDS ON THEE.
(Leo XIII: Adiutricem populi, September 5, 1895) — [p. 19, no. 44]

Blosius: To the, O Lady, are committed the KEYS and the treasures of the kingdom of Heaven.

Bonaventure: …the gates of heaven will open to all who confide in the protection of Mary. Blessed are they who know thee, O Mother of God, for the knowledge of THEE is the high road to everlasting life, and the publication of thy virtues is the way of ETERNAL SALVATION . Give ear, O ye nations; and all you who desire heaven , serve, honor Mary, and certainly you will find ETERNAL LIFE.

She says, "He that shall find Me shall find life, and shall have salvation from the Lord.   "Qui me invenerit, inveniet vitam, et hauriet salutem a Domino."

Listen," exclaims St. Bonaventure on these words, "listen, all you who desire the kingdom of God: honor the most Blessed Virgin Mary, and you will find life and eternal salvation."  "Audite qui ingredi cupitis regnum Dei: Virginem Mariam honorate, et invenietis vitam et salutem perpetuam."-psalt. B.V.ps.48.

 

Ephem: …devotion to the divine Mother…is the unlocking of the heavenly Jerusalem.

Fulgetius: …by Mary God descended from Heaven into the world, that by HER man might ascend from earth to Heaven.

Guerric: …he who serves Mary and for whom she intercedes, is as CERTAIN of heaven as if he were already there…and those who DO NOT serve Mary will NOT BE SAVED.

Richard of Laurence: Mary, in fine, is the mistress of heaven; for there she commands as she wills, and ADMITS whom she wills.

 

“The Catholic Church has always and with justice put all her hope and trust in the Mother of God.”

(Leo XIII: Encyclical, Supreme Apostolatus, September 1, 1883.) — [p. 32, no. 104]



“... Yet our manner of praying to the Blessed Virgin has something in common with our worship of God so that the Church even addressed to her the words with which we pray to God: ‘Have mercy on sinners.’”

(Leo XIII: Encyclical, Augustissimae, September 12, 1897.) [p. 68; no. 302]

"Only She Can Help You"
by Father Nicholas Gruner, S.T.L., S.T.D. (Cand.)
In this letter introducing The Fatima Crusader Issue 38, Father Gruner discusses the growing lies and deception about Russia's errors and the consecration of that nation. He also reminds us that, while it is urgent that we be informed about and fight for Our Lady's cause, we must ask for Her help and intercession.

In the Fatima sanctuary, at the exact spot where Our Lady appeared, Father Gruner pays homage to Her while touching the original statue of Fatima. Father Gruner was recently graced with this rare opportunity since normally this sacred image is always protected by a glass covering which completely surrounds it all day long.

Mary Leads Her Servants to Heaven
by St. Alphonsus de Liguori
In this article taken from The Glories of Mary, Saint Alphonsus explains that there are countless souls in Heaven who are there now only because Mary, by Her powerful intercession, led them there. If a soul persists in true devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, She will certainly lead that soul to Heaven.

 



The Rosary
by Father Stefano Manelli, S.T.D.
It is greatly important that Our Lady insisted on the Rosary. When at Fatima She spoke of the salvation of sinners, of the ruin of souls in hell, of wars and peace, and of the future of our age. Our Lady indicated and recommended the Rosary as the prayer that saves, that brings peace, that preserves the faith.

Hail Mary, Full of Grace
by Father Stefano Manelli, S.T.D.
It is truly a treasure to have a strong devotion to Our Lady, for it is She who unites us to Jesus and brings us to Heaven, as this article explains.

Mary, Our Life, Our Sweetness, Our Hope
by St. Alphonsus de Liguori
St. Alphonsus de Liguori explains how Mary is our life, how She is our sweetness, and how She is our hope.

The historical record of the worship of Mary accumulated by St. Alphonsus de Liguori who wrote “The Glories of Mary” in the year 1745, which has been since translated into English and printed again and again and again with the full affirmation and imprimatur of the official Roman Catholic Church.  In this book there is the sum of all the glories of Mary which has been vouchsafe to the Roman Catholic Church and the Church itself calls upon all its constituents to give Mary that honor she is due.  She is identified as Mary, our Queen; Mary, our mother; Mary, our life; Mary, our sweetness; Mary, our hope; Mary, our help; Mary, our Mediatress; Mary, our advocate; Mary, our guardian; and Mary, our salvation.  It is said that Mary delivers us from hell, Mary delivers us from purgatory, and Mary leads us to heaven.  And it should be said that de Liguori, who collected all the Marion dogma and devotion, was himself one of the most celebrated and revered authorities in the Roman Catholic Church.  De Liguori was himself a cardinal in life, and a saint in death.

 

Jesus said "Without Me you can do nothing". In this crisis which looms ahead of us, Our Lady has told us that we need Her help, Her intercession. We must ask for Her help with the Rosary and the Scapular.

At Fatima, Our Lady told us very plainly that "Only I can help you". Today more than ever is this so true.

Pray the Rosary and sacrifice yourself for Our Lady.

I urge you to also make some sacrifices as Our Lady of Fatima asked us. For those who are able, do some fasting. If you can, abstain from meat by eating meat only during one meal a day. Try to do this for two days, even ten days or 30 days. Of course we should abstain totally from meat every Friday.

 

 Jesus and Mary — Our Hope

It is so urgent that we reach as many souls as possible before it is too late. Let us be of good cheer and remember the words of Jesus to each of us, "It's never too late to have recourse to Jesus and Mary." That is why it is so important to reach the many millions of souls who do not know this, and who do not know the grave dangers lying in wait for their souls.

No, we must never lose hope. Mary is our hope. She can obtain for us what we cannot by ourselves. Read what St. Alphonsus has to say regarding confidence in Our Lady's intercession in "Mary Leads Her Servants to Heaven". Father Manelli also reminds us of the importance of devotion to Our Lady. (See "Hail Mary, Full of Grace"). Our Blessed Mother tells us to turn to Her in confidence. She tells us repeatedly to ask Her intercession through the frequent fervent praying of the Rosary. (See "The Rosary"). She tells us we must pray the Rosary every day. She wants us to pray it many times a day.

 

http://fatima.org/crusader/cr38/cr38pg2.asp



"Blessed is he whose interior offers the Blessed Virgin Mary a place of repose." Devotion towards the Blessed Virgin remains in all who are the inheritance of Our Lord; that is to say, in all who will praise Him eternally in Heaven.

O, how many blessed souls are now in Heaven who would never have been there had not Mary, by Her powerful intercession, led them thither. I made that in the heavens there should rise light that never faileth. Cardinal Hugo, in his commentary on the above text of Ecclesiasticus, says in the name of Mary, "I have caused as many saints in Heaven through Her intercession, who would never have been there but through Her ."

...in the words of St. Ambrose, "Open to us, O Mary, the gates of paradise, since Thou hast its keys." "Aperi nobis, O Virgo coelum, cujus claves habes." Nay more, the Church says, that "Thou art its gate." 

 


 

St. Antoninus tells us "that this divine Mother has already, by Her assistance and prayers, obtained Heaven for us, provided we put no obstacle in the way."23

Hence, says Abbot Guerric, "he who serves Mary, and for whom She intercedes, is as certain of Heaven as if he was already there."24

St. John Damascene also says, "that to serve Mary and be Her courtier is the greatest honor we can possibly possess; for to serve the Queen of Heaven is already to reign there, and live under Her commands is more than to govern."25

On the other hand, he adds, "that those who do not serve Mary will not be saved; for those who are deprived of the help of this great Mother are also deprived of that of Her Son and of the whole court of heaven."26

 23.  "Coeleste nobis regnum, suo interventu auxiliis, et precibus, impetravit."—Paciucch. Sup. Salve Reg. exc. I.
 24. "Qui Virgini famulatur, ita securus est de paradiso, ac si esset in paradiso."
 25. "Summus honor, servire Mariæ, et de ejus esse familia; etenim ei servire, regnare est; et ejus agi frænis, summa libertas."
 26. "Gens quæ non servierit illi, peribit; gentes destitutæ tantæ Matris auxilio, destituuntur auxilio Filii et totius curi’‘ coelestis."— De Laud. B. M. I. 4.

Cardinal Hugo http://fatima.org/crusader/cr38/cr38pg3.asp 

 

 
 

554 posted on 04/19/2017 4:20:51 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: ebb tide
Everyday is “throw Luther under the bus” Day.

On other days; everyone piles onto Mary's bus.

555 posted on 04/19/2017 4:21:40 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: ebb tide
What part of “unbloody sacrifice” do you not understand?

THIS part?

"...unless you DRINK MY BLOOD..."

556 posted on 04/19/2017 4:22:37 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: imardmd1
Me?

ERROR?


Highly unlikely!!!


Dammit Vlad; get AWAY from my keyboard!!!



557 posted on 04/19/2017 4:24:54 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: af_vet_1981
A straw man is a common form of argument and is an informal fallacy ...

Which the Only True Church has honed to a fine art.


As well as...


5. Appeal to Tradition - Trying to get someone to accept something because it has been done or believed for a long time.
Example: This is the way we've always done it. Therefore, it is the right way.
Example: The Catholic church's tradition demonstrates that this doctrine is true.

558 posted on 04/19/2017 4:28:29 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: af_vet_1981
... a fine art.



9. Fallacy of Equivocation - Using the same term in an argument in different places but the word has different meanings.
Example: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Therefore, a bird is worth more than President Bush.
 
 
14. Poisoning the Well - Presenting negative information about a person before he/she speaks so as to discredit the person's argument.
Example: Frank is pompous, arrogant, and thinks he knows everything. So, let's hear what Frank has to say about the subject.
Example: Don't listen to him because he is a loser.
 
 
16. Special Pleading (double standard) - Applying a standard to another that is different from a standard applied to oneself.
Example: You can't possibly understand menopause because you are a man.
Example: Those rules don't apply to me since I am older than you.

559 posted on 04/19/2017 4:32:54 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Mrs. Don-o
I regard Luther as a genuine religious genius, on a par with Joseph Smith and Muhammad:

(See #14)

560 posted on 04/19/2017 4:34:05 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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