Tag Archive: Cecil Andrews


Thank you for joining me for Part 2 in this series in which I will be sharing more information with you to give you further evidence in order to show you that the entity that is appearing in these apparitions and claiming to be the Virgin Mary is not the Virgin Mary of the Bible, but rather a deceiving spirit that is bringing unity among all religions and leading many of them into the Catholic church. If you have not yet read Part 1 in this series yet and would like to, you may do so by clicking HERE

APPARITION OF THE VIRGIN MARY – JERUSALEM – 1954

In the following video you will hear about an alleged apparition of the Virgin Mary that took place at St. Anthony Coptic school in Jerusalem where Coptic Christians, as well as Catholics and Muslims attended:

 

THE APPARITIONS OF MARY AT ZEITOUN

In the video below (which can only be viewed on YouTube since playback on websites has been disabled by the video owner) you will hear the following concerning these silent apparitions that allegedly took place in Zeitoun, Egypt mainly between the years 1968 and 1970:

“As the years have gone by, these apparitions began to attract more and more people, sometimes gathering large crowds of 250 thousand people from different countries and faiths: Christians, Jews, Muslims and even nonbelievers ”

“…all the people present at the time — Christians and Muslims – could also see it.” “The silent apparitions at Zeitoun are considered to be an appeal to ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue.”

The following video gives further details concerning these alleged apparitions regarding healings that were said to have taken place –by the hand of the Virgin Mary. In one instance it is said that a woman came to Zeitoun in search of a cure. Here is the summary of one account:

As a woman who was dying of cancer laid in her bed and before she drifted off into a deep sleep, she was visited by the Virgin Mary who appeared with a small boy who handed the Virgin Mary a small knife. The Virgin Mary told her that she was going to remove the cancer. “Xray analysis proved that she was free of cancer completely.” ‘There was no sign of any wound or any opening.’ 

It is implied to those who hear about this particular incident in which the Virgin Mary allegedly appeared and healed the woman of cancer, that this small boy who appeared with her was Jesus Christ, thus causing many to wrongly believe that Mary has more power that Jesus Christ, who was reduced from being Creator,  Savior of the world, and God, the second person of the Trinity, to a helpless young child who serves Mary.


At this point I would like to stop for a brief moment to share another account with you concerning the Virgin Mary so that you can see the following:

Precious Catholics are being presented with a works based salvation gospel and a gospel that causes them to wrongly place their trust in the traditions and doctrines of their church instead of only trusting in the once for all sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the truth that is presented in Scripture

The Virgin Mary is elevated in the eyes of Catholics by implying that she has more power and authority that Jesus Christ

Here is a portion of the account that I quick captured for you further below:

“One day the King [Alphonsus, King of Leon and Galicia] became very sick. He went unconscious, and everyone thought he was dead! When he was unconscious he had a vision, and found himself before the judgment seat of God. Many devils were there, telling all the sins he had committed, and Our Lord as the Judge, was just about to tell King Alphonsus that he was going to hell! Suddenly Our Lady appeared on the scene and asked for a pair of scales. She placed the King’s sins on one of the scales and on the other scale she put the rosary, which he had always worn, and the Rosaries that had been said because of his good example. The Rosaries weighed more than his sins!

“Looking at King Alphonsus with great kindness, Our Lady said: “As a reward for this little honor that you paid me in wearing my Rosary, I have obtained a great grace for you, from my Son, Jesus. Though you were supposed to go to Hell, you will be able to live for a few more years. See that you spend these years wisely, and do penance!”

When the King came to, he cried out: “Blessed be the Rosary of the Most High Virgin Mary. By her Rosary she has saved me from the terrible fires of Hell!”

(SOURCE) – Not an endorsement

Here are some Scriptures to refute the idea that we can be saved by our good works:

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare I say at this time his righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of him who believeth in Jesus.” (Romans 3:23-26)

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10)

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”(Titus 2:13,14)

“But after the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:4-7)


Now back to the main focus of this post, which is how these alleged apparitions of the Virgin Mary are drawing many people of other religions into the Catholic church. I will then follow this section with information to show you the New Age/New Spirituality connection:

Below is a quick capture from an article in which you will read how “Muslims converted” because of these alleged apparitions that took place in Zeitoun, Egypt. Sadly, they did not convert by hearing about Jesus Christ and the Biblical gospel being preached to them, but rather by seeing apparitions of the Virgin Mary. This is not Biblical Christianity.

(SOURCE) – Not an endorsement

In the article below you will see how apparitions of the Virgin Mary are being credited for “the conversion of millions of people to Roman Catholicism.” It’s also interesting to note at what point in church history these alleged apparitions of the Virgin Mary to Juan Diego took place:

“…just as a large number of people were leaving the Catholic Church in Europe as a result of the Reformation, Our Lady of Guadalupe was instrumental in adding almost 8 million to the ranks of Catholics in the Americas between 1532 and 1538.”

(SOURCE)

In the following article, dated Aug. 11, 2oo9, Catholic News Agency reports that “the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe was a ‘salvation event’ specifically directed to evangelize of all of the Americas.”

(SOURCE) – Not an endorsement

One day when I first began doing research for the Fatima posts that I shared with you last year, I did a search on Lucia Santos, the oldest of the three children who claimed to have seen the apparitions of the Virgin Mary back in 1917, and just happened to come across the following video of two visionaries that I had never heard of before: Sister Lucia de Jesus and Friar Elias del Sagrado Corazon.

These alleged apparitions of Mary are among the many ways in which Catholicism is merging together with the New Age Movement. These messages claim to be “transmissions from the Virgin Mary” to visionaries, Lucia de Jesus and Friar Elias Del Segrado, (seen pictured below on the left), and are translated into English, (usually by this young woman on the right). The alleged apparitions have been taking place for ten years now, and these visionaries travel throughout the world bringing many supposed messages from Mary that speak of peace and unity.

They claim that the Virgin Mary has been transmitting messages to them for the past six to seven years. (Since 2011 for Friar Elias and 2012 for Lucia). As I listened to this video (and many more after it), it became very evident that these messages that were being transmitted were completely New Age in their beliefs because of their  strong emphasis on unity and oneness, and did not resemble Biblical Christianity at all.

Sister Lucia and Friar Elias are part of an ecumenical movement that embraces all religions. In the quick capture below it says: “

The spirit of universality and ecumenism is the keynote of the Grace Mercy Order…”

“At Grace Mercy Order we aspire to live Christic universal love…”

(SOURCE) – Not an endorsement

The organization (Divine Mother/Divina Madre) that live streams these alleged apparitions describes itself as follows:

(SOURCE)

Although, as stated above, they claim that they are “not linked to any religion but to the Christic life, in itself…” it is highly immersed in the traditions of the Catholic church as evidenced by the statues of Mary, Jesus, and Joseph, the rosary being prayed, the Eucharistic Christ being displayed in the monstrance, the sign of the cross being performed by those present at these gatherings, and more, as you will soon see further below in this post.


Here is some information that is posted on one of the YouTube channels that uploads some of the videos of these alleged apparitions of the Virgin Mary to the visionaries, Lucia De Jesus and Friar Elias:

Source – The above information is posted under YouTube video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4FfHvruVuM

Below is a brief history of the visionaries in which you will discover that allegedly Friar Elias began receiving messages from the Virgin Mary in 2011, and Sister Lucia began receiving them in 2012. According to this information there is another visionary, as well –Mother Maria:

(SOURCE) – Not an endorsement

Upon searching Facebook to see if I could find more information about these visionaries of the Grace and Mercy Order I found this page which will clearly show you the emphasis that this movement has on unity. Consider these words from the quick capture below and you decide if it reflects Biblical Christianity:

“As Mother of the World She is the Supreme Feminine Energy that is creator of all, and Her mantle encompasses all.”


This quick capture of their March 2017 Facebook page not only shows information about the latest messages allegedly transmitted to the visionaries through Mary, but also ones reportedly coming from Saint Joseph and Jesus Christ:

God’s Word is clear that the Canon of Scripture is closed.  However, would Jesus Christ really give a message like the one below if indeed He was still speaking today? Or is this rather a message that would come from a false Universal Christ? When you see the word “universe” capitalized, as you see it capitalized below, it denotes deity and life.

Many in the radical Environmental Movement believe that this planet [Universe] is a living being and oftentimes refer to it as Mother Earth or Gaia. If you’d like, you can read one of my former posts in which I shared some information on this: WARNING YOU WITH TEARS WEDNESDAY – EARTH DAY


Once again, although the Grace and Mercy Order claims they are not linked to any religion, you will now see more evidence of how Roman Catholicism is strongly being promoted:

Source – YouTube video entitled, ‘Apparition of the Virgin Mary Rose of Peace – Marian Center Menino Rei Brazil – Sept. 25, 2017


 Starting at the 24:55 minute mark in the video below you will hear “the words that Mary transmitted for the apparition…” What you’re about to read is a very disturbing message that was allegedly transmitted to Sister Lucia from the Virgin Mary. As you read the following message, keep these questions in mind:

“Would the Mary of the Bible say these things? Or does this present a message akin to the New Age/New Spirituality movement that embraces all religions?

Here is the message allegedly given by the Virgin Mary to Sister Lucia:

“When the white buffalo would appear on the horizon, suddenly, walking with serenity before the eyes of the pure, it was a sign of prosperity and of hope. Its mouth did not speak. Its language was not known by humankind. Its silence would transmit the will of God to them. Its language was understood with the heart by those who knew how to become silent. When sadness flooded the hearts of humankind they cried out for the grace of seeing and of feeling the white buffalo. Its serenity calmed them and they felt the hope that the earth would remain fertile, alive, and sacred.

When the heart of the children of the earth was not reached in love and in joy, they cried out for the white buffalo. Its joy and its love did not come from this world, but it nourished and healed it. It appeared on the horizon and represented the arrival of the new cycles where life would have a greater meaning because the land would be fertile and so would the heart.

The white buffalo was the holy spirit of the earth which walked silent among humankind. It came to dissolve fear, anguish, sadness. It came to unite the hearts of the children of the earth with he who created the earth and all the other planets. He created the sun, the moon, and all life. The white buffalo was the bearer of purity and reunited the purity in the hearts of the children of the earth so that they would not lose the hope of a world in peace and in communion with life. The white buffalo was meek but invincible. Nothing could touch it and only the eyes of the heart could see it. Its mystery came from infinity, even though its appearance was of the earth. It made itself lesser than humankind with the living symbol of a simple animal, but it wanted to represent the all. Within it were both the small and the great, from the animals to the Supreme God. From nature to the all. The white buffalo thus made it possible to understand that God is in everything. I am the white buffalo, the spirit of the earth. The spirit of life.

I am the representation of the fertile cycles of the cycles of peace. In my presence despair and fear are dissolved, and hearts again find the faith and the love of God. I am, my children, the Mother of the earth, and also of heaven. The children of the earth were born on it, but they do not come from it. Their spirits come from me. They were born of the universal source of life, protected by the brightness of the stars that sparkle in infinity, embraced by the motherhood of God, Adoni. I come to this world so that you may regain purity and hope, so that you have fear and pain healed, and so that the certainty of being able to experience the sacred and unity on this earth with creation may again shine in your essences. I am here, beloved children, now resembling humankind with a body like yours and with a divine heart so that you may find again within yourselves what unites you with the creator, what makes you a mirror of his most sacred heart.

I came to mirror in your spirits the sacred and the divine. I appear on the horizon in silence, again bringing peace. I appear on this day of a new cycle representing a fruitful cycle in the life of this spirit. I want to strengthen your hearts and to build within you the new gardens of life. I want to cause the new human being to be born, recovering the purity and the divinity of the indigenous consciousness. I come to bring the grace of union with the origin for those called originating peoples and in this way all human hearts may rekindle within themselves the purity of the beginning, the original unity with the heart of God. May your lives be fruitful in love before the white buffalo…”(25:32 – 31:11 minute mark)

“I am the white buffalo, your mother and mother of all creation.”(31:39 minute mark)


If one takes the time to examine all of these alleged apparitions of the Virgin Mary, you will see how this being who claims to be Mary presents a message that appeals to each people group that she appears to. In the above alleged apparitions in which these messages are given to Friar Elias and Sister Lucia, she speaks to the Indigenous people who have embraced a pagan philosophy that is also very New Age in their belief system, which is why the message refers to her as the White Buffalo.

The Native Heart Healing Oracle – Blue Angel Publishing

Upon doing research to see what I could find concerning the White Buffalo and native spirituality, I came across the following video in which Chief Arvol speaks of a prophecy that said a white buffalo calf would stand upon the earth, and when this would happen many changes would take place upon the earth. Chief Arvol also speaks of “the Creator Wakan Tanka” and a woman who allegedly appeared carrying a buffalo robe. When this woman allegedly appeared before the people the next day she came with the buffalo robe. As she began to walk away she rolled over, and as she stood up she changed into a young black buffalo, then a red one, and then proceeded to turn into a yellow buffalo. Then, as she  went over the hill she became a white buffalo calf.

I am not trying to say that the appearance of this particular woman was an alleged apparition of the Virgin Mary, and she never claimed to be the Virgin Mary. I am, however, trying to give you evidence of how these apparitions that claim to be the Virgin Mary (such as the entity that transmits messages to Sister Lucia de Jesus and Friar Elias) give messages that appeal to the spirituality that represents the people she is appearing to.

In this video you will also hear Chief Arvol use many terms that are also used by those in the New Age/New Spirituality Movement, as well as by those involved in the Environmental Movement: global warming, Mother Earth, spiritual unity, peace, harmony, etc.

Are you now beginning to see how many religions and all of these movements — especially the New Age/New Spirituality movement and the Environmental Movement — are all merging together?


 Many involved in this movement speak of unity, oneness, and peace, but if one looks closely they will see this oneness is not the same as the oneness that Jesus Christ prayed for in John Chapter 17. For quite some time now we have been seeing many professing Christian pastors and teachers — including Rick Warren — promoting this type of unbiblical unity:

Christian author and speaker, Warren B Smith, was once deeply involved in the New Age Movement. Now he warns Christians just how dangerous this movement really is through the books that he writes and through the presentations that he gives at many Christian Conferences! When time allows, please consider listening to this insightful and very important presentation that he gave at the Last Days Bible Conference a few years ago.


The entity who claims to be the Virgin Mary in these alleged apparitions also refers to herself as the Lady of All Nations and says that she embraces everyone as her children — no matter what religion they are a part of. In some of the messages that were given during these apparitions by the one who calls herself The Lady of All Nations, to the visionary, Ida Peerdeman, “unity” among all Christians was emphasized, and many unbiblical and mystical words of instruction were also given. Here are some examples that you can hear in the video below. Be sure to test them in light of Scripture. These messages were given on September 20, 1951:

“Christians all over the world should unite.” 

“Christians shall and must enter into themselves. Let them consider what part they are to play in this world.”

“It [the prayer] has been given so that the coming of the Spirit of Truth may be implored for the world. The lady says, “Child, why is this prayer not being spread abroad? What are they waiting for? I have taught it to you so that it might be circulated among the people. Let everyone say this short and simple prayer every day. This prayer is purposely kept short and simple so that every person may manage to say it even in this modern and speed crazy world. It  has been given so that the coming of the Spirit of Truth may be implored for the world.”


No matter what anyone may say, there will be no peace in this world until Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, returns. To say that The Lady of All Nations is the “Key to World Peace” is completely unbiblical!


The last dogma that this entity who claims to be the Virgin Mary is demanding to be proclaimed, is for her to be declared the Lady of All Nations, as well as Co-Redemptrix, Mediatrix of all Graces, and Advocate. She claims that shefreely cooperated with Jesus in redeeming the world.” The blasphemous implications can be clearly seen in the picture below:

In part, this is what the entity, (who claims to be Mary), requested to be said as a prayer:

“Let the Lady of All Nations, who once was Mary, be our Advocate.”

According to God’s Word, who is our Advocate?

“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (1 John 2:1)

According to God’s Word, we have only one Mediator:

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5)

According to God’s Word there is only one name under heaven by which we must be saved:

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) 


APPARITIONS OF MARY AND THE NEW AGE CONNECTION

In the following video, Cecil Andrews of ‘Take Heed Ministries,’ presents us with some excellent and even shocking information that shows the parallel between Catholic and New Age Marian Messages. When time allows, I truly hope that you will consider listening to this message that was given by Timothy Kauffman:

‘Catholic’ and ‘New Age’ Marian Messages in Agreement

For further information please consider reading the following by Cecil Andrews of Take Heed Ministries:

Click to access Marian-Apparition-Messages.pdf

(Note: Sources with very good information; not an endorsement. It has come to the point where I can no longer endorse any ministry.)

In the video below is another supposed message given by the Virgin Mary and channeled through a woman named Julie Miller. Channeling is a New Age practice in which a spirit  (and in this case it is said to be Mary, the mother of Jesus) speaks forth a message from beyond the grave. In this message you will hear terms such as: vibrations, energy, Mother earth, exhale in his light, pouring his love and light into every person of every creed and race, etc., demonstrating that this is not the Biblical Mary, but rather a spirit speaking forth a New Age message.

In many cases Mary is referred to as the Universal Mother or the Divine Mother, by those who promote the New Age agenda, once again, demonstrating that this entity is promoting unity among all people –Catholics and non-Catholics alike. The following message was channeled by a woman named Linda Dillon:

“…you are so much further ahead in this ascension process in this creation of nova Earth than you suspect “unity, connectedness, and balance and form in creation upon gaia in being a mother you are utilizing all of my blessings …..”


At gatherings, such as where messages offering love, unity, hope, and peace are allegedly being given from the Virgin Mary to visionaries, Friar Elias and Sister Lucia, which are then presented to unsuspecting people in an atmosphere where soothing music is being played, which breaks down the conscious mind so that it cannot properly think and reason, you will most certainly have people falling for a false Christ and an unbiblical Mary; a Mary who is presented as the Divine Mother, a title that many in the religions of Hinduism and Buddhism call their goddesses, as you will see from the quick captures below. Note also the use of New Age terminology that is used:


Giana Talone Sullivan is an example of a modern day visionary who claims to have received messages from the Virgin Mary mainly between the years of 1988 and 1995.

“The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore issued a statement saying they found no basis to support her messages as having an extraordinary source. The statement from the archdiocese condemns the alleged apparitions as not of a supernatural origin.” (1)

However, as you can see from the quick capture below, after French theologian, Fr. Rene’ Laurentin (“who was also an expert advisor for the Council during Vatican ll and an expert investigator of Marian apparitions and seers”) “brought a medical team of scientific specialists from France to America,” in part, the results of their investigation showed that she was found to be in the same state of ecstasies as other seers:

(SOURCE)

Scientific studies can be helpful to determine many things, but when it comes to the spiritual dimension everything — especially the messages — needs to be tested against God’s Word to see if it is true or not. (Acts 17:11)

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearances of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21,22)

God’s Word also instructs us to test the spirits to see if they are from God.

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1)


In the following video you will see how some people are literally crying out from the depths of their hearts for the trees that are being cut down. While none of these people profess to be Christians, this is simply a clear example to show you just how far many have drifted from what is Biblical, to now embracing a pagan world view, and how Environmentalism has become a form of spirituality and religion.

Why are these people not instead crying out for the lives of the unborn who are being torn apart limb by limb out of the safety of their mother’s womb, or who are having their brains sucked out during a partial birth abortion? We have become a barbaric society in which many place more emphasis on caring for this earth rather than caring for God’s greatest creation –mankind, who has been created in His own image and likeness. (Genesis 1:26,27)


CLOSING COMMENTS:

Please wake up! In this post I have presented you with just some of the many ways in which the plan for ecumenism and creating a One World Religion is taking shape right before our very eyes! You can also see, from the information that I have added to this post, how precious Catholics are being lured into the New Age Movement by these so-called apparitions of Mary!

Yes, as Christians we are to take care of the world that God has entrusted to us, but to put more emphasis on creation rather than on the Creator is unbiblical, and can cause one to shift from what is truly important in the eyes of God –human life made in His image and preaching the Biblical Gospel of faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. The eternal destination of billions of people is at stake!

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone one who believes:  first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a  righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” (Romans 1:16-20)

Jesus Christ should be our focus, not the Virgin Mary. Many of the messages given to visionaries during all of these alleged apparitions clearly focus much more on Mary, rather than on Jesus Christ. In every form of deception there is always enough truth mixed in with lies so that the lies cannot easily be realized, which is why everything should always be tested against Scripture, and not against church teachings or the traditions of men, which is often the case when it comes to these apparitions and the Catholic church.

We can admire Mary for her willingness to submit to God and to become the mother of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, since most likely she was falsely accused of adultery by many and endured much ridicule, as well. Mary indeed deeply suffered as she watched her Son — Jesus Christ, the Son of God, God clothed in human flesh — suffer the horrendous torture of crucifixion, which led to His death. However, Jesus Christ alone redeemed us. Mary did not in any way suffer to the point of sharing in our redemption process or adding to Jesus Christ’s sufferings to attain our redemption –no matter what any one may say! To say anything more is to add to Scripture, which is forbidden by God. (Deuteronomy 4:2, Deuteronomy 12:32, Proverbs 30:6)

Mary is rarely even mentioned in Scripture! (Lord willing, one day I will do a post on every verse in which Mary is mentioned so that you can see just how little she is mentioned). God’s Word clearly emphasizes that it was only the sinless Son of God, Jesus Christ — the Lamb of God without spot or blemish —  whose sinless life, sufferings on the cross, shed blood, and death was sufficient to satisfy God’s just demands by paying the debt for all of our sins –in full.

“Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” (Acts 20:28)

“Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.”(Romans 3:22,25)

“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” (Ephesians 1:7)

“Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made is meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:12-14)

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (1 Timothy 2:6)

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing og the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” (Titus 2:14)

“Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.” “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.” (Hebrews 9:12-15,22)

“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (1 Peter 1:18,19)

God will not allow any one else to share His glory.

“I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.” (Isaiah 42:8)

We must keep in mind what God clearly warns us about in His Word so that we will not be deceived:

“As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.” (Matthew 24:3-5)

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times men shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.” (1 Timothy 4:1)

We must be Bereans and constantly test everything against Scripture, including the messages and teachings of every pastor and teacher –no matter how well respected they may be or how many years they may already have been in ministry! (1 Thessalonians 5:21,22, Acts 17:11)


In PART 3 we will be taking a close look at some end time scenarios that are being presented these days by a growing number of professing Christians that are causing many Christians to not only take their eyes off of the Lord, but also to tread on some spiritually dangerous territory! I will be tying all of that together with the alleged apparitions of the Virgin Mary, as well and sharing some rather controversial things with you in the process. The information that I will be sharing with you is extremely important for you to be aware of since it’s very possible that these things may very well become part of the strong delusion and spiritual deception that we are warned about quite frequently in Scripture concerning what will take place before the return of Jesus Christ to this earth.

I hope that you will join me for PART 3 in this series that I will try to have completed in the early part of May, possibly sooner –Lord willing. Because there is so much information that needs to be presented to you this may end up being a four part series instead of three, as I had originally planned.

NOTE: October 15, 2021 TO READ PART 3, the final installment in this series, Click >HERE<

Thank you very much for stopping by and taking time out of your busy day to read this very lengthy post.

God Bless You

~Mary/Living4HisGlory


RELATED VIDEOS

Regardless of the fact that many alleged apparitions of the Virgin Mary present messages that are saturated with Catholic doctrine, the evidence that these apparitions are capturing the attention of hundreds of people from different religions can clearly be seen. Here are some examples:


MORE RELATED VIDEOS

(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gianna_Talone

NOTE: This post was updated on February 28, 2021 in preparation for writing PART 3 in this series, ‘APPARITIONS OF THE VIRGIN MARY OR DEMONS IN DISGUISE – EXAMINING THE EVIDENCE IN LIGHT OF SCRIPTURE.’

TO READ ‘PART 1’ FIRST, CLICK HERE FOR ‘PART 2’ CLICK HERE

Capture Pic - Lead me in Thy truth and teach me Psalm 25 5I found and quick captured the beautiful picture above on KingJamesBible.org page on Facebook.

Joy, peace, confusion, fear, and anger.  These were the emotions I deeply experienced and quickly moved through as I discovered the true gospel while reading the Catholic New Testament Bible that I received from my ‘husband’ in 1980.  Because, as time went on, the truth of God’s Word began to peel back the layers of man-made traditions and expose the false doctrines that cloaked the glorious reality of who Jesus truly is and what He actually accomplished through His sinless life, His atoning death, and His miraculous resurrection from the dead. 

Even though the truth that I found in God’s Word began to fill me with a deep sense of joy, seeing the truth also made me realize that I had been lied to and deceived by the teachings of Catholicism. It took some time to deal with the anger, but by the grace of God, around a year or so later, after spending a lot of time reading God’s Word on a daily basis, I finally came to the point of having a faith that was firmly established on Jesus Christ as my solid foundation; the day finally came when I was no longer ‘tossed to and fro by every shifting wind of the teaching of deceitful men.’  (Ephesians 4:13,14)  God used that time in my life to make me realize the importance of searching the Scriptures and studying them and testing the words of men (and women who claim to speak for God), against the truth of God’s Word (Acts 17:11) so that I would never be deceived again!  Little did I know at that point in time, that in the years to come, I would be leaving other churches, as well.  Not only because of unbiblical teachings, but also because of a pastor who would make wrong relationship choices which would cause him to drift slowly, yet steadily, away from the strong stand he once had for Biblical truth.

REFLECTING BACK TO THE VERY BEGINNING

As I started writing this final part of my testimony, I reflected back to the time when God began to open my eyes to the false teachings of the Catholic church and I realized just how long it actually took for me to finally leave!  It only took an instant for God to reveal the true gospel to me through His Word, but it took much longer for me to break free from the bondage and the fear that Catholicism produces in its people which holds them tightly in their grip —until Jesus sets them free once and for all! After many years of Catholic Doctrine classes, twelve years of attending Catholic schools, and participating in hundreds of masses not only on Sundays, but also every Monday through Friday for three years while I attended a particular grammar school, as well as attending many more masses through the years that followed, it was hard for me to simply let go of all I believed to be completely true for so long, because in the back of my mind, that main, nagging, fearful thought was still haunting me:

“What if you’re wrong and you spend eternity in hell for leaving the one true church?”

 However, as I mentioned to you in Part 2, all of that changed one day after I read 1 John 5:11-13:

“This, then, is the witness: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has this life; whoever does not have the Son does not have life. I write you this so that you may know that you have eternal life–you that believe in the name of the Son of God.”

While reading that passage of Scripture, “God gave me complete assurance of my salvation and removed the final traces of fear and doubt” once and for all!

WHAT I DISCOVERED AS I BEGAN TO READ

THE CATHOLIC NEW TESTAMENT BIBLE

As I began to read God’s Word, God began to open my eyes so that I could not only see the richness and the beauty of the truth that was in His Word, but also He made me realize that much of what I learned as a Catholic was either nowhere to be found in Scripture, or the teachings of the Catholic church did not line up with what God’s Word was saying.  That’s when the confusion began to set in, which was actually the beginning of the light of His truth shining into my spiritual darkness and exposing the traditions of men and some of the false teachings of the Catholic church.

TEACHINGS OF CATHOLICISM NOT FOUND IN SCRIPTURE

When I first began to read my Catholic New Testament Bible, I remember that I kept searching all four gospels because I  couldn’t find many of the things that I was taught.  Teachings such as:

‘The Stations of the Cross’

  • CATHOLICISM TEACHES: Jesus fell three times on the way to the cross

  • CATHOLICISM TEACHES: A woman named Veronica wiped the face of Jesus when He fell, and the imprint of His face was left on the cloth

  • CATHOLICISM TEACHES: Jesus meets His mother Mary on the way to the cross

Around 8 years ago while watching *Mark Woodman’s YouTube video, ‘Poison in the Passion of the Christ,‘ *(He died a few years ago, and I recently found out that he was part of the Seventh Day Adventist cult, so I do not endorse him at all, but I found the information in his video very revealing) I learned that the actual inspiration behind some of ‘The Stations of the Cross’ as well as Mel Gibson’s ‘PASSION OF THE CHRIST‘ movie, was partially based on ‘visions’  that a woman mystic named Anne Catherine Emerich supposedly had, which explains why I was not able to find those things in the Bible!

Note in the quick capture below, that ‘indulgences (a shortening of the amount of time that a person would have to spend after death in the ‘purging’ fires of a place the Roman Catholic church calls ‘purgatory’ “in order to undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.” CCC 1030) will be granted to a person who chooses to pray at each of the Stations of the Cross.’  This would mean that a person’s time in ‘purgatory’ would be shortened if they would walk up to each station, (which is a sculpted picture or painting representing some of what Jesus endured the day He died), and take time to reflect on each part of Christ’s journey to the cross, saying certain prayers at each station, as well.  This practice may sound good, and it may seem very meaningful to reflect on what Jesus endured on our behalf, but when one realizes that portions of what is said to have happened during Christ’s journey to the cross is based on false visions of a mystic and proves to be unbiblical, as well as the fact that images are also unbiblical according to God’s Word (Exodus 20:4-6, Deut.4:23-25, ), it then becomes very clear that this is not honoring to God in any way!

Note also in the final sentences in the quick capture below, that “…in the year 1520, Pope Leo X granted an indulgence of 100 days to anyone who would do each of a set of sculptured stations representing the “Seven Dolours (Sorrows) of Our Lady.” Not only are indulgences unbiblical, because they clearly imply Jesus’ death was not sufficient to pay the debt for our sins in full, but also once again you can see how the teachings of Catholicism turns the attention of their people to Mary when our focus should be on Jesus Christ alone.

Capture Stations of the Cross newadvent.orgSOURCE <— Continue reading here

Here is a list of the Seven Dolours of Our Lady:

  1. The Prophecy of Simeon (Luke 2:34-35) or the Circumcision of Christ

  2. The Flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:13)

  3. The loss of the child Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:43-45)

  4. Mary meets Jesus on the way to Calvary (No reference because you cannot find this in Scripture.)

  5. Jesus dies on the cross (John 19:25)

  6. The piercing of the side of Jesus, and Mary receiving the body of Jesus in her arms. *(See note and  information below)

  7. The body of Jesus is placed in the tomb. (John 19:40-42)

*(Information concerning point 6 from the list above). Though Catholic sources cite Matthew 27:57-59, as to where this event can be found in Scripture, you can see by reading that Scripture below that this is just not so:

“When it was evening, a rich man from Arimathea arrived; his name was Joseph, and he also was a disciple of Jesus. He went into the presence of Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate gave orders for the body to be given to Joseph. So Joseph took it, wrapped it in a new linen sheet,…”

Upon doing research on this, on Sunday, 11/16/14, I found the following disturbing information to reveal where this idea of ‘Mary receiving the dead body of Jesus‘ actually came from! Here is a small portion of that information that you can also read in greater detail further below, and you can also read the entire article by clicking on the word SOURCE under the information I quick captured below.

“Mary [the Virgin Mary] revealed to St. Bridget of Sweden some extraordinarily painful details in one of many private revelations which have been approved by the church as having nothing in them contrary to faith and morals. She told her that”A man [a soldier, commonly known to us today as Longinus] came up and drove a spear so forcefully into His [Jesus’] side, that it almost came out of the other side. And as soon as he drew it out, its point was all red with blood. The Heart of my beloved Son was so violently and mercilessly pierced that the spear split His heart in two. When I saw that my Son’s Heart had been stabbed through, I felt that my own heart was likewise pierced, and it was a wonder that it did not break.”

“St. Bridget herself related a corroborating vision she had about our Blessed Mother’s reaction to this incident.According to this 14th century mystic, one of the Patron Saints of Europe, Mary “trembled so violently, and with bitter groans, that her countenance and manner showed that her soul was then pierced with a keen sword of grief.”

“Although there are no specific scriptural references to our Blessed Mother’s having received our Lord’s body, tradition has it that she did indeed hold Him in her arms one last time before He was laid in the tomb.”

“Let Mary describe the scene further, again, in her revelation to St. Bridget:

While the others left the scene, I did not want to go away. Later my Son was taken down from the cross… . We carried Him to a stone which I had covered with clean linens. All my Son’s limbs had become stiff and cold in death, and the blood which had flowed over them during His Passion adhered to them. But I was indeed consoled that I could touch His body and take Him onto my lap, examine His wounds and dry up the blood…. Then they laid Him out on some clean linen, and with my cloth I washed His wounds and His limbs. And with my fingers I closed His eyes and His mouth, which were open when He died.”

Capture The Sixth Sorrow - Mary Receives the dead body of Jesus in her arms picture

Capture The Sixth Sorrow - Mary receives the dead body of Jesus 2

Capture The Sixth Sorrow - 'St. Bridget's 'vision'SOURCE  <– CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

These are the closing words of the article above:

“Consider these words from St. Alphonsus Liguori as he quotes another religious figure: “If you desire, O children of Mary, to find a place in the heart of Jesus, without fear of being rejected…go with Mary; for she will obtain the grace for you.” (Emphasis in red is mine).

Can you see what is going on here? Can you see how all of these revelations/teachings are placing the emphasis on the sufferings of Mary? Now I’m certain that Mary did indeed suffer anguish as she watched Jesus, her Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit, yet her Son whom she carried in her womb, and held, and cuddled, and watched Him grow and do amazing things (since He was God in the flesh), dying on the cross right before her very eyes! As accurately mentioned in the above article, Scripture does say in Luke 2:35 that “sorrow, like a sharp sword will break your (her/Mary’s) heart.” All of us can imagine how we would feel if we had to watch our son endure such horrors like Jesus endured! However, something much more is taking place here; something sinister, sneaky, and deceptive. First of all, unbiblical information is being mixed with Scripture, given approval by the Catholic church, and therefore it places this information on the same level as Scripture, since according to Para 82 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church it states that:

“Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence.” (Emphasis in red is mine).

Whether intentionally or not, placing the emphasis on the sufferings of Mary that are revealed through these unbiblical revelations, seems to indicate Catholicism’s plan — a plan that has been in progress for many years now — working towards proclaiming Mary as Co-redemptrix supposedly at her request!

Below is an excerpt from the following video concerning a church approved apparition which was approved on May 31, 2002 by the local bishop. This apparition, who claimed to be the Virgin Mary and proclaimed as Our Lady of All Nations, said on May 31, 1954, to:

“…work and ask for the dogma; you  must  petition the Holy Father for this dogma.”

“First of all, she is the Co-redemptrix…”  “The doctrine means that Mary participated with Jesus and under Jesus in a way unparallelled; in a unique fashion in all of human history that, as a woman was part of the process of the fall of the human race — the role of Eve with Adam — so God willed that a woman would be part of the process of the restoration of grace with Jesus, the new Adam. This is Mary the Co-redemptrix. So when the church calls Mary Co-redemptrix  as blessed John Paul II did, for example in 6 occasions, it means specifically that Mary uniquely collaborated, participated, cooperated with and under Jesus for the redemption of the world.” (Emphasis in red is mine).

 

If you have never seen the following disturbing, yet very informative video before, when time allows please watch and listen to these supposed  messages given by these apparitions who all claim to be the Virgin Mary. Please be sure to test the messages in light of Scripture.

Here is just one of many messages you will hear these apparitions say:

Message to St. Bridget of Sweden:

“I boldly assert that His sufferings became my suffering because His heart was mine. And just as Adam and Eve sold the world for an apple, so in a certain sense my Son and I redeemed the world with one heart.”

MORE TEACHINGS OF CATHOLICISM NOT FOUND IN SCRIPTURE

  • CATHOLICISM TEACHES: Mary, the mother of Jesus, was sinless

  • CATHOLICISM TEACHES: Mary did not die but was assumed into heaven, body and soul.

  • CATHOLICISM TEACHES: We go to a place called ‘purgatory’ after we die to burn in a purifying fire for an unknown amount of time before we are allowed to enter heaven (based on 2 Maccabees 12:38-46, a non-canonical book  rejected by Protestants and Jews, and Matthew 5:26 which is a distortion of Scripture).

  • CATHOLICISM TEACHES: Mary remained a virgin

  • CATHOLICISM TEACHES: Mary participated in the redemption of mankind

SOME TEACHINGS OF CATHOLICISM I FOUND TO BE FALSE

  • The Ten Commandments listed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church are different than those listed in the Bible:

Capture Catholicism - Catholicism's ten commandments compared to God's Word

  • Priests, bishops, cardinals, and popes are told they are not to marry, and yet Peter, said to be the first Pope, was  married.  “Jesus went to Peter’s home, and there he saw Peter’s mother-in-law sick in bed with a fever.”  (Read Matthew 8:14)

  • Mary remained a virgin after Jesus was born and therefore had no other children, and yet I read many verses that said Jesus had brothers and sisters!  Matthew 12:46-50  (Also in Mark 3:31-35 and Luke 8:19-21) (Also read Matthew 13:53-57, John 7:1-10, Acts 1:14, Galatians 1:19)

  • The Sacrifice of the Mass (Catholicism claims that Jesus instituted the Sacrifice of the Mass at the last supper, and yet I read many verses that said Jesus died once for all, and it’s never to be repeated again. Read Romans 6:10, Hebrews 9:26-28, Hebrews 10:10,18,26 1 Peter 3:18,

  • Jesus is referred to as a ‘victim’ in the Mass, and yet I read verses that said Jesus died willingly. Read John 10:17,18, Matthew 20:28, 1 Timothy 2:5,6,

  • Catholicism teaches that the Mass is a bloodless sacrifice, and yet they say the mass  atones for sin (Read Hebrews 9:22)

  • Catholicism teaches the doctrine of ‘transubstantiation’ in which they say that the bread and wine actually becomes the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus and yet when I read John 6:53-63, I could clearly see Jesus was not speaking in a literal sense, and how Jesus reveals this to His disciples in John 6:60-64: “Many of his disciples heard this and said, “This teaching is too hard. Who can listen to this?” Without being told, Jesus knew that his disciples were grumbling about this; so he said to them, “Does this make you want to give up?” Suppose, then, that you should see the Son of Man go back up to the place where he was before?” What gives life is God’s Spirit; man’s power is of no use at all. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life. Yet some of you do not believe.” (SHLT)  John 6:32-35 says, “I tell you the truth, Jesus said, “What Moses gave you was not the bread from heaven; it is my Father who gives you the real bread from heaven. For the bread that God gives is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” “Sir,” they asked him, “give us this bread always.” “I am the bread of life,” Jesus told them. He who comes to me will never be hungry; he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” (SHLT)

  • Catholics are told to call every priest ‘Father,’ and yet Matthew 23:9 says the following concerning addressing those in a spiritual leadership position,  “They love the best places at feasts and the reserved seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the market places and have people call them ‘Teacher.’  You must not be called ‘Teacher,’ because you are all brothers of one another and have only one Teacher.  And you must not call anyone here on earth ‘Father,’ because you have only the one Father in heaven.”  (Read Matthew 23:1-12)

  • After Catholics confess their sins to the priest, they are told to do “penance,” for their sins, which means they have to say specific prayers a certain number of times as determined by the priest when he ‘absolves Catholics from their sins with the power priests claim they have been given by Jesus Christ.’  However, when I first began to read the Catholic New Testament given to me by my ‘husband,’ I never found the word ‘penance.’ Instead I found the proper and accurate word ‘repent,’ which means ‘to change your mind;’agree with God that you have sinned and turn from your sin and turn to God.’  In my family’s Douay Rheims Catholic Bible, however, the word penance is used instead of repent. If you click HERE you can read a list of all the verses where penance is used in place of repent.

Please be sure to watch the videos I posted because they are filled with a lot of good information that goes into detail concerning some of the things I mentioned in this post. When time allows, please consider clicking on the links to many of the good articles that I posted below, as well.

A NEW BEGINNING

It was March of 1980 right before Easter/Resurrection Sunday.  I was still attending the Catholic church on Saturday evenings and would then attend the Assembly of God church with my friend on Sunday mornings.  When I made a commitment to Jesus Christ and to believe God’s Word, the Bible, over man’s word, Catholicism, I decided to be baptized again to show I was following Jesus of my own free will and leaving the old Mary with all of her sins nailed to the cross and buried in the waters of baptism, and that I was emerging out of the waters as a new creation in Christ.  (Colossians 2:8-15, 1 Peter 3:21,22, 2 Corinthians 5:17)  None of my family came to see me, but my church family was there praising God for revealing the gospel to me and giving me eyes to see the truth and setting me free. 

At that point in time my daughter was in Kindergarten in the public school just two blocks from our home.  Just a few months before I had placed my complete trust in Jesus and came to realize and believe that He paid the debt for my sins in full and chose from that point on to believe God’s Word over the teachings of Catholicism, I had already made the decision to enroll my daughter in the Catholic school near our home for the following year because I wanted her to learn about God.  She did attend Catholic school the next year as I continued my research into the teachings of Catholicism and compared everything against God’s Word, the Bible.  Throughout that year I made the most of the time while she was there by giving her teacher (who was a nun) a New Testament Bible (that had the plan of salvation and a list of questions in the front of it) as a Christmas gift, and I shared the gospel with her, as well as with some mothers of my daughter’s friends that I met that year.  However, when I finally came to the point of clearly realizing that many teachings of Catholicism were false, and knowing the following year that my daughter would begin having Catholic Catechism classes to prepare her to receive her ‘First Holy Communion,‘ I decided to pull her out of the Catholic school at the end of the school year to protect her from being indoctrinated, confused, and deceived, and I enrolled her back into the public school down the street for Second Grade. 

I realized that my decision not to allow my daughter to make her ‘Communion’ would probably cause my mom to be very disappointed and even angry with me, but I didn’t realize just how angry she would actually become!  As gently, and as carefully as I tried to choose my words as I shared the truth with her, after our conversation ended, my mom sadly came to the conclusion that I was in a cult.  Therefore, she no longer allowed my younger sister to babysit for my children after our conversation.  She rejected my explanation that I shared with her about why I left the Catholic church and said these words to me that many former Catholics  have heard from their loved ones… “Once a Catholic, always a Catholic!” 

I understood why she was angry, but her words and rejection still hurt me deeply.  Probably as deeply as it hurt her to hear me share with her that I had left the Catholic church.  But I knew I had to take a stand for the truth of God’s Word –no matter what the cost —*as you will soon see a little later in this post.

LEARNING TO WALK BY THE SPIRIT AND NOT REACTING IN THE FLESH

The more I learned about what the Catholic church actually teaches as I continued to do research, the angrier I became because of all the lies and deception within this religion that I was a part of for so many years and believed to be true for so long with all of my heart!  That anger began to gush out of me one day during a conversation I was having with my neighbor, who was also a Catholic, and who was the mother of one of my daughter’s friends.  She had asked me ‘why I took my daughter out of Catholic school and enrolled her back into the public school again.’  I wanted to ‘make the most of that opportunity,’ so I calmly began to tell her about what I was learning while reading the little Catholic New Testament Bible that my ‘husband,’ gave me and how I didn’t want my daughter to learn about some of the false teachings of the Catholic church, such as ‘purgatory.’  She replied simply by saying,  “Oh purgatory.  They don’t teach that any more.”  I didn’t direct my anger at her, but I was utterly shocked at what she said and how she had said it in just a matter-of-fact way as if it didn’t bother her in the least bit! I replied to her filled with a righteous anger thinking of the many Catholics who have been deceived by this teaching by saying,  “They don’t teach that any more?!!  Then what about all the Catholics who pay for masses to be said to get their loved ones out of purgatory??”  I forgot what she said in reply because it happened so many years ago, and I don’t have the time to search through all my journals to try and find that actual day and what I wrote concerning all that was said that day, but I do remember that it didn’t turn into an argument

Because of another certain incident that happened shortly after becoming a Christian, God strongly convicted me of the attitude I was beginning to have concerning Catholicism.  It happened  during a women’s Bible study when I expressed my anger concerning the false teachings of the Catholic church in a sarcastic way not knowing that one of the new women who was attending our women’s Bible study that day was a Catholic.  She never came back, and I found out it was because of what I had said.  I can’t remember what it was that I actually said, but I do remember that I felt horrible when I found out the reason she didn’t return was because of what I had said that day!!  From that point on, instead of having anger, I  began to develop a deeper compassion for Catholics, and to this day I am very conscious of what I say when I am with a group of people that I don’t know; I use my words very carefully so as not to offend any Catholic, or anyone who may hear me speak out of a righteous anger concerning Catholicism, or whatever the subject may be.

A NEW CREATION IN CHRIST —

GOD’S STRENGTH BEING MADE PERFECT IN MY WEAKNESS

My ‘husband’ saw me change from being a very fearful and depressed young woman before I became a Christian (mainly because of his behavior, and because of how he was treating me since the day we were married), to a young woman who was now filled with God’s peace and joy and who also had His strength and courage to now face many of my fears and to stand up to him; God not only gave me eyes to see through his manipulative schemes, but He also gave me courage to confront him, when necessary, in a  firm, but loving manner. 

My ‘husband’ also saw me change from a young woman, who, just a few years earlier, wanted to find a Catholic church to attend by our newly purchased home that had statues, (one other Catholic church we attended near our new home didn’t have any statues) to just a few years later now leaving the Catholic church because they had statues, and for many even more serious reasons, as well. 

I am sure my ‘husband’ must have experienced some confusion from the obvious changes he saw in me, but there was no good reason whatsoever that he could use to justify what he continued to do throughout our marriage –before and after I became a Christian.  Now, with a deep desire to glorify God and to honor my ‘husband,’ and because God had healed me emotionally and renewed my mind, with joy in my heart I began to clean our home, room by room –including the closets and laundry room!  And because my worth as a person was now based on God’s love for me and not based on receiving the love and acceptance of my ‘husband,’ I began to take care of my appearance as I once did, but I began to dress in a way that honored God instead of continuing to dress in a way that I thought would gain the attention and affection of my ‘husband.’ 

In spite of all the significant changes I made in our home and in my appearance,  he made it very clear to me one day by what he said that he liked the new and more courageous and no longer fearful Mary even less than the Mary I once was.  He pointed out some of the facts: The new Mary no longer drank at parties and social occasions like weddings.  The new Mary shared the gospel with all of his friends whenever an opportunity presented itself.   He began to distance himself even further from me, even to the point of suggesting one day that I sleep in my son’s room because my son would sometimes wake up in the middle of the night and crawl in bed with us when he was around three years old.  I refused to take him up on his suggestion and from that point on I felt an even deeper level of his rejection.

Now that the new Mary no longer withdrew into a state of depression and hopelessness because of his behavior, but chose to express her feelings and concerns to him within a day or so after first expressing her hurt and anger to God and praying for words of wisdom in order to express her/my thoughts to him in a God-honoring way, she/I was prepared to handle what would soon take place just four years after I became a Christian in that glorious Spring of 1980; God showed me through circumstances and through Scriptures, that my ‘husband’ was going to leave me, and that day finally came on October 5th 1984.  Here is some of what I wrote in my journal on that devastating and heart-wrenching day which climaxed on October 6th.  I will refer to my ‘husband’ as Horace, which is not his real name, and my children as Penny and Peter, also not their real names:

JOURNAL ENTRY– OCTOBER 5, 1984

“I began to feel very sad and hurt and came out in the front room and sat on the couch and Horace went up in our bedroom and then came down again and finally came out to me and I knew that we were about to have another talk.  Horace began by asking me what I was thinking.  I swallowed to gain some strength and said through tears,  “I wish this was just a dream.  I am trying to be strong, but I am also human, and I hurt!  Horace said something like,  “I just have to go away for a while to get myself together, and I think deep down you know that’s what I need.”  Horace sat down to my left on the couch and said,  “I would like to see the kids as much as possible.”  I began to cry at this because it hurts so much to think he just wants to see them and not me and Horace asked why I was crying and I told him,  “I wish that you wanted to see me as much, too.”  Horace said,  “I love you.  I just wish you were the same one that I fell in love with.”  When he said that, two tears fell from his left eye, and the battle began. 

Satan tried to blame this all on me because of me being a Christian.  Horace went on and on saying,  “They got a hold of your mind and they have you trained to think the way they want you to think.”  As he said this, and other things to come, I silently cried and shook my head  (no) as the tears dropped from the outer corner of my left eye and fell upon my vest and pillow on the couch.  The verse,  “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of Me…” went through my mind as I also prayed in the Spirit to fight what was coming against me.  “God, please make him understand,”  I said within me.  I refused to receive any of this.

Horace went on and on about how ‘all of his friends don’t even know me anymore,’ and how I ‘used to be so much fun,’ and how ‘even my family doesn’t know me.’  To all of this I answered when he began how I don’t even want to come around his friends any more’… “Hon, how many times did I ask to go to your baseball games…I kept asking you,  ‘Do you have one game today, or two?’  You always said,  I’m not sure,’  or ‘I have late games.’  Every time!  Whether it’s true or not, I felt you didn’t want me to be at your games.”  When he said, “You’re not fun any more,’ and “You’ve changed,” I said,  “Yes, I’ve changed.  But that wasn’t really me, either.  I was scared of people, and I had to drink to relax, and now I don’t need to drink.  God has given me the peace that I need.  And my family has accepted me.”  Horace said,  “No they haven’t…they’ve learned to just live with it.”  I said,  “No, my sister even calls me to pray with her because she’s been having a hard time with her husband.” 

Then at one point, Horace said,  “When you would be with my friends, all you ever did was just sit there and preach to them, and give them tracts and act as if you were their judge!”  To that I said,  “Maybe I was too strong in the beginning, but God knew my heart.  I just wanted to share the truth with them no matter what they thought of me because it says in the Bible, ‘if you don’t warn them, their blood is on your hands,’ and I’d rather them think I was weird, than to stand before God and be responsible for their souls.  (God had shown me Ezekiel 33:7 at least two times this week…when I’d open the Bible it fell on that Scripture and I wondered what God was trying to tell me.  Now I know He wanted me to share that with Horace.  Then Horace said,  “Is it so much to ask to pick up a glass and have a toast?”  (He said that because we went to a wedding once and I didn’t drink the toast with his friends).  I said,  “I am not going to go along with everyone else and do something that I don’t want to do, no matter what they think of me.” 

Another thing that Horace said was, “You say one thing, and then you do another.” I said, “What do you mean?” He said, “You say,  ‘this guy has the truth,’ and then you listen to all these other guys who say the opposite.”  I said,  “Hon, I told you that when guys started saying ‘the world is going to end on this day or that day,’ I don’t listen to them…”  Horace cut me off before I finished the sentence and said,  “Nobody  knows.”  I said,  “Right.  Only God.  But it could be soon by all the things that have been happening, but it may be in twenty years, or so.” Then Horace said,  “I think it’s *Gertrude and George *(not real names of my friends he mentioned) that started you into religion.”  No, I didn’t even listen to them…besides they were into Hari Krishna.  I told you, hon, in the letter I wrote you that it all started when I began to read the little Catholic Bible you brought home to me…nobody preached to me.  I just began to read and see how the Bible differed with what I was taught and I heard a voice in my mind say,  “Whose word are you going to believe…the Word of God, or the word of man?”  And that’s when I chose to believe what was only in the Bible.”  Horace said,  “Well, everyone has their own interpretation of it.”  I replied by saying,  “And that’s why it’s so important to read the Bible because God will show you the meaning.” 

Horace asked,  “How did you start going to this church?”  I told him how our babysitter invited my friend, Matilda (not her real name) to come and see this piano player and that was also the guy who talked about rock music, and I was so excited to see all these young men and women crying and coming up to the altar when he asked who wanted to come forward  and accept Jesus, and I never saw such brokenness, and they cried and didn’t care who saw them.  And people were happy and singing instead of falling asleep in church, and I wanted the joy that these people had found that I was searching for.  Not that you didn’t give me joy, but the kind of joy that is missing from all of our lives that only God can give.”  Horace said,  “Why do you have to go every Sunday?”  I said,  “Because I like to hear what he (the pastor) talks about…”  Horace said something that questioned the authority of  my pastor, and I told him,  “To my knowledge everything he says is in the Bible, and if I ever hear anyone who says anything against the Bible I don’t listen to them any more.” 

Then we were both quiet, and Horace asked,  “What are you thinking?”  I said,  “I want you to understand me.”  Horace said,  “I do too.”  I said,  “No matter what you think, I am not brainwashed; I have my own free mind, and I chose to change my life.”  The Horace said,  “Yeah, my friends say,  ‘Try to change Mary.’  And I told them,  ‘She’ll never change; she wants to be this way.”  Horace said,  “You won’t change…will you?”  I shook my head ‘no’ as tears came streaming down my face.  But in my heart, as Satan was trying to destroy me by telling me ‘my Christianity is destroying my marriage,’  the Holy Spirit comforted me with the thought that if Horace’s only argument why this marriage can’t work is because of me being a Christian, I know God will bring Horace to understand and to accept Jesus and truly make us one. 

I said to Horace as I tried desperately to control my tears,  “You wrote in my wedding ring, ‘Two as one,” and to me, we’ll always be one.”  Horace said,  “Yeah, when you went away for that weekend  women’s seminar, on the bottom of the note you left for me, you had written,  “Two as one.”  I wish we were one.”  Then around this point, Horace said,  “It’s not that I don’t love you, because I do.  And it’s not that you’re not a nice person, because you are.”  I began to really break apart when he said that because I’ve wanted to hear something nice from him for so many years!  Horace continued and also said,  “Come here,”  and he reached out his arms to me and I held him tightly and broke down crying and he cried too.  I told him how I wanted him to hold me for such a very long time, and how I loved him so much.  Then Horace said after we held each other for about a minute:  “That’s why I’ve got to go away.  We need some time apart because I’m thinking of the future, too.  When the kids grow up and all that’s left is you and I, we’ll still be living our own separate lives.  Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”  I was afraid for a minute that he was saying ‘there’s no hope for us; I’m asking for a divorce,’ but that he couldn’t bring himself to say it and he wanted me to say it, but I just stared at him in shock and emptiness and said,  “Yes, I understand that you need time to be by yourself.”  But I think when Horace agreed with me he wanted me to say ‘yes, I understand,’ so that it would ease the guilt in his mind because he got me to say ‘yes.’ 

God must really be convicting him because he said,  “I feel so guilty…I feel so bad about myself.  That’s why I have to get away and find me and get myself together.”  Then he tried to justify his leaving by saying,  “This is the most we’ve talked in a looooong time.  Maybe this will be the best for us.”  I said,  “I think the problem has been a lack of communication.  I will never believe you leaving is a good thing.”  I asked Horace when he was leaving, and he said ‘he was moving some stuff out today when the kids wouldn’t see him.’ 

He went upstairs  and began to pack and I had to go walk away because it was too heartbreaking for me to watch. I went downstairs in the family room and opened my Bible and God spoke to me through His Word to confirm what He had brought to my mind during my conversation with Horace; my Bible opened to this verse:  “Blessed are you when people insult you; persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven…”  (Matthew 5:11)  I said out loud, softly,  “Oh God, You are so close!”  I just felt He was so close when He gave me that Scripture and realized that He is right with me. 

Horace came downstairs and he hugged me again, and as we began to walk up the stairs he said something that really carried me through this rough day.  He looked at me with tears in his eyes and said,  “I know this might sound strange coming from me, but…keep the faith.”  I was so touched!  He had a look on his face like he admired my strength and believed I found the truth, but that he was confused and torn both ways.  I think he wanted me never to stop believing and praying for him, either.  I hugged him tightly and said,  “Oh, hon, I will never stop loving you and never stop praying for you.  And don’t forget, Satan is a liar and God loves you and will forgive you no matter what, and so will I.”  Horace answered by saying,  “Don’t preach at me.”  I couldn’t tell if he was angry or said it lightly, but I felt really led to say that to him. 

(His aunt had died on October 3rd, and tonight, October 5th, was the wake). Horace asked me if I wanted to go to the wake with him.  In spite of how sad and devastated I felt, I told him ‘yes,’ and that ‘I wanted to be strong in front of his family.’  He said,  “Well, we won’t stay long.”  I prayed every possible way while he drove so that I wouldn’t feel any guilt that I had failed to pray a certain way that I might think of later after he left us.  Horace had asked me if we should tell his family that he was leaving, and I told him ‘no.’ (‘Love covers all things’ was my reason for not making him tell his family, but later I wondered if I should have made him tell them so that he would have had to deal with the choice he had made).  I told him that I might just tell Myrtle (one of his sisters whom I was very close to…not her real name). I did talk to Myrtle, and she agreed that Horace was using my ‘religion’ as an excuse.  She also said,  “When he’s on his own for a while that he’ll realize it not all that great.”  While we were there God gave me strength and peace just to sit and to talk to  everyone, and I told Myrtle not to tell anyone and she agreed.  She hugged me and said to call her if I needed to talk or anything. 

The ride home was the beginning of the hardest moment of my life!  I prayed that God would open Horace’s eyes and ears to see the world as it really is.  I prayed that the convicting power of the Holy Spirit would be with Horace stronger than ever before.  I especially prayed that God would not let him go unless it was God’s will that he go; only if it was the path that would lead Horace to Him.  I prayed for God to hold back all the powers of hell from interfering with His will so that whatever happened I would have God’s peace because I totally prayed every way I knew how and I wouldn’t feel it was my fault in any way because of a lack of prayer.

When we got in the house (and even before that) tears began to fill my eyes, and as his eyes met mine, his eyes were also filled with tears.  And, without speaking, his eyes said,  ”  I’m leaving now; this is it.”  He held me and I held him, and he said,  “Don’t worry.  I’ll be back either late tonight or early tomorrow.”  (He said that because he had asked me when we got in the house if I wanted to go to the funeral tomorrow.  I was surprised that he asked, because he told the kids that we were only going to the wake).  I looked at him and tried one last time to penetrate his heart, and without sounding desperate, I simply said,  “Don’t go unless you’re sure.”  Then the hardest moment of my life took place as he began to walk away from me.  He held my hand as he looked at me standing in the doorway of the kitchen, and he in the driveway, and he looked into my eyes like he did today during our big talk, and I felt he really did love me, as strange as it seems.  He acted like he did when we were dating as he was saying ‘good-bye.’ 

My heart broke in two as he said ‘good-bye.’  How I wanted to run after him and say,  “Please don’t leave!  I love you!”  I wanted to scream and run and hug him, and hold him, and never let him go!  I thought of him watching his own dad leave him and how he must have wanted his dad to come back!  I wanted to fulfill his dream by stopping him from doing the very same thing!  My heart broke with compassion for him thinking how he’s searching for the very thing that I have right here…Jesus!  But I have to believe, as devastating as it may be to me, that what Satan is using for evil, God will somehow use for good, and that this will be the road on which leads Horace to Him!  I watched through tear-filled eyes as he drove away, but had a peace knowing that God was still in control. 

After the kids were in bed I got ready for bed and prayed some more and cried some more, and went to bed.  I tossed and turned all night looking at the clock and wondering  when he’d come back, and praying in the Spirit as I laid my hand on his pillow. 

JOURNAL ENTRY — OCTOBER 6th 1984 As I laid there awake at 6:30 a.m., Horace came home.  I reached out my hand to him and he said,  “Hi,”  so sweetly and took my hand and laid his cheek on it so sweetly, the way he used to.  He said,  “What are you thinking?”  I said,  “I couldn’t sleep all night…I tossed and turned…missing you, thinking about you, and praying for you.”  I told him ‘I’d talk to him in the morning because Peter, (our son…not his real name)  had crawled in bed with me during the night and I didn’t want to wake him up.’  He said,  “Try and get some sleep.”  He held my hand and laid on his back and closed his eyes. When we got home after the funeral, Horace’s eyes said the same thing they said last night; that he was leaving.  I asked him to ‘please come upstairs so I could talk to him.’  We went upstairs and I tried to be strong and said to him,  “I just wanted you to know that last night, when I watched you walk away, was the hardest thing that I have ever had to do.  I wanted to run after you and stop you, but I also knew you wanted time away.”  Horace said,  ” Thanks…I needed to hear that.”  I said,  “Please don’t ever think that I don’t love you because I let you go.”  Horace said,  “I know.”  I also said,  “Don’t ever think that I can take your place with these kids, because I can’t; I can only be their mother.”  Horace said,  “Thanks, I needed to hear that too.”  Horace said,  “Do you want to tell the kids, or should I?”  I said,  “It has to come from you, but if you want me to come with you, I will.  But first let me pull myself together.” 

With tissues in hand, I followed Horace down the stairs to be with him as he faced the thing he dreaded the most.  Horace still had tears in his eyes and spoke quietly to keep from breaking down and crying.  Horace said to the kids as they were sitting on the couch,  “Come here.”  They both knew something was wrong and they both stood up, sad and silent.  I said calmly,  “Come on.  Let’s all go and sit on the couch.”  They both sat down by Horace and he put his arms around them and said,  “Daddy loves you both very much.  And you are both very special, and I want you never to forget that.”  Then he said to our daughter, Penny (not her real name)  “Remember, honey, what we talked about before?”  (I had no idea that he had been talking to them about leaving).  She quietly and sadly said,  “Yeah.” He continued…”Well, daddy needs to go away for a little while to think about things.  He just needs some time to get away by himself and think.  But I’ll call you every day, and, Peter… (our son…not his real name) I’ll still take you to your ‘Dad and Me’ class.  I love you both and I love your mom too, but I just need some time away.  Your mom loves you both too, and she’s going to need you both very much.  I cried quietly when I heard him say all of this to the kids.  I was getting so angry at Satan.  Then the kids started to cry and Peter put his head into his pillow and Horace stood up to walk away, and the kids stood up and he put his arm around all of us and said,  “I love you all!”  He cried, and we all cried together. 

I was filled mostly with compassion for Horace, but also with a little anger.  If he loves us so much, why doesn’t he try and make things work instead of running away?  Then I began to wonder.”How could this be happening?”  Horace walked out and I burst out crying as  he closed the kitchen door and drove away.  I pounded the kitchen doorway by the dining room and sobbed uncontrollably.  Then I held the kids and we all cried together as we watched him drive away.  I held them and began to pray for God to show him the truth and for His Holy Spirit to convict him and to comfort us. 

Then I began to thank God for what He was doing in Horace’s life.  I told the kids that ‘they have to believe the truth and that this is a spiritual battle, and that Satan is trying to make their dad think that the things in this world is what makes people happy, but since we have been praying so hard, God is also dealing with him, and that he needs the time away to find the truth for himself.’  I told them,   “Don’t ever think that your dad doesn’t love you, because that’s a lie from Satan.”  Precious little Peter began to pound the floor with his foot, and when I asked him what he was doing, he said,  “I’m mad at Satan.”  We went into Penny’s room and Peter picked up the Bible and said,  “Mommy, read the Scriptures.” 

In the midst of all the pain and heartache, there were many precious moments with my children like that.  Through all the years I waited, I hurt so deeply for my children –even deeper than the personal pain I experienced.  I watched my children endure heart-wrenching hurt and disappointment when their dad decided not to come on days when he told them that he would.  No child should ever have to go through what they did, but sadly, many children do.  And, sadly, many other children never even see their fathers again when they choose to walk out the door!

Needless to say, I was deeply hurt that he chose to leave us, and that over the previous two days he had treated me the way he should have treated me throughout our marriage; with love and tenderness, even though it was not genuine.  How deeply sad and how horribly ironic to see what it took in order to actually have a deep conversation with him as well as to receive some form of affection that I had desired for so many years! 

After my ‘husband’ left, it was by the grace of God alone that I was able to take one day at a time. I fought very hard to keep my thoughts under control so that sorrow and hurt would not rob me from enjoying each moment with my children.  I also took on many different baby sitting jobs in the years to come so that I could stay home with my children and make them feel as secure as possible.  I took turns being ‘room mother’ for both of my children’s school parties and field trips, and went to their schools to see them in plays and music recitals, and enjoyed every minute of it all! During those years we rode bikes together, roller skated together, went paddle boating, went to Great America, and played miniature golf together. I enjoyed playing Barbies with my daughter, and pitching balls to my son in the field. I endured standing outside on cold days just so that I could watch my son play basketball and do tricks on his skateboard, and play on the football team. I stayed up until 2:00a.m. or 3:00 a.m. listening to my daughter share stories of  her adventures with her friends when she’d come home. Knowing the day would come all too soon when she would go off to college, as tired as I was, I just deeply appreciated the fact that she shared her thoughts with me.

Those days were bittersweet, but I have many memories of the time I spent with my children that I will treasure forever. All because I chose to surrender all the hurt and rejection and fears of what tomorrow would bring to Him, and in return God gave me His grace that was sufficient and His strength that was made perfect in my weakness.

Days turned into months, and months into years, and he still did not return home.  He called every day and took my daughter and son out at least twice a week, and I appreciated the fact that he was faithful to pay all the bills –most of the time.  There were two or three times when the electricity was shut off because he failed to pay the bill on time, and we were cold and in the dark for at least two or three days. 

In spite all the heartache and turmoil I went through in the years that followed, I continued to pray and believe that the day would truly come when my ‘husband’ would receive God’s love and forgiveness and ask for our forgiveness and return home.  I even saved up for a massaging, reclining chair and purchased it and kept it covered in plastic awaiting the day that he would return home.  Three different Christian women at three separate times told me that God showed them that my husband was going to return home, and one friend even said she had a vision of Horace sitting in his new chair with my children joyously running around in circles wearing robes of righteousness. I never placed my faith in the words of men (or women, in this case), but only in the Word of God; if I had, my faith might have been shattered by what was soon to come. 

BACK TO THE TEACHINGS OF ROMAN CATHOLICISM

Before I share the final portion of my testimony with you, I’d like to share some of the Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent with you :

 

CANONS AND DECREES OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT

Time does not permit me to share all of the ANATHEMAS of the ‘CANONS AND DECREES OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT’ with you, but I listed many of them.  If you’d like to read them all, you can do so by clicking on ‘SOURCE’ at the end of this section.

Anathema –

Function: noun

Etymology: Late Latin anathemat-, anathema, from Greek, thing devoted to evil, curse, from anatithenai to set up, to dedicate, from ana-  + tithenai to place, set.

 1 a: one that is cursed by ecclesiastical authority b: someone or something intensely disliked or loathed

2 a: a ban or curse solemnly pronounced by ecclesiastical authority and accompanied by excommunication b: the denunciation of something as accursed c: a vigorous denunciation

3: a person or thing accursed or consigned to damnation or destruction

CHAPTER XVI

ON THEE FRUIT OF JUSTIFICATION, THAT IS, ON THE MERIT OF GOOD WORKS AND ON THE MARNIER OF THAT SAME MERIT.

ON JUSTIFICATION

–CANON XVIII If anyone shall say, that the commandments are, even for a man that is justified and constituted in grace, impossible to keep; let him be anathema.

–CANON XXIV If any one shall say, that the justice received is not preserved, and also increased in the sight of God through good works; but that the said works are merely the fruits and signs of justification received, but not a cause of the increase thereof; let him be anathema.

–CANON XXIX If any one shall say, that he, who has fallen after baptism, is not able by the grace of God to rise again; or, that he is able indeed to recover the justice lost, but by faith alone, without the sacrament of penance, contrary to what the holy Roman and universal Church, instructed by Christ and his apostles, has hitherto professed, observed and taught; let him be anathema.

–CANON XXX.  If any one shall say, that, after the grace of justification received, unto every penitent sinner the guilt is so remitted, and the penalty of eternal punishment so blotted out,that there remains not any penalty of temporal punishment, to be discharged either in this world, or in the next in purgatory, before the entrance to the kingdom of heaven can be laid open; let him be anathema

 

DECREE CONCERNING THE SACRAMENTS

–CANON IV.  If any one shall say, that the sacraments of the New Law are not necessary unto salvation, but superfluous , and that without them, and without the desire thereof, men, through faith alone, obtain of God the grace of justification; though all [the sacraments] be not necessary for every individual; let him be anathema.

–CANON VIII.  If any one shall say, that by the said sacraments of the New Law grace is not conferred through the act performed, but that faith alone in the divine promise suffices for obtaining grace; let him be anathema. 

–CANON X.  If any one shall say, that all Christians have power to administer the word, and all the sacraments; let him be anathema.

TOUCHING BAPTISM

–CANON III.  If any one shall say, that in the Romish church, which is the mother and mistress of all churches, there is not the true doctrine concerning the sacrament of baptism; let him be anathema. 

–CANON V.  If any one shall say, that baptism is free, that is, not necessary unto salvation; let him be anathema. 

–CANON VII.  If any one shall say, that the baptized are, by baptism itself, made debtors but to faith only, and not to the observance of the whole law of Christ; let him be anathema.

–CANON XIII.  If any one shall say, that infants, for that they have not actual faith, are not, after having received baptism, to be reckoned amongst the faithful, and that, for this reason, they are to be rebaptized, when they have arrived at years of discretion; or, that it is better that the baptism of such be omitted, than that they, while not believing by their own act, should be baptized in the faith alone of the Church; let him be anathema.

DECREE TOUCHING THE MOST HOLY

SACRAMENT OF THE EUCHARIST.

CHAPTER III.

On the Excellency of the most Holy Eucharist above the rest Of The Sacraments.

CONCERNING THE MOST HOLY SACRAMENT

OF THE EUCHARIST

–CANON I.   If any one shall deny, that, in the sacrament of the most holy Eucharist, are verily, really, and substantially contained the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ, and consequently the whole Christ; but shall say that He is only therein as in a sign, or in figure, or virtue; let him be anathema.

–CANON II.  If any one shall say, that, in the sacred and holy sacrament of the Eucharist, the substance of the bread and wine remains conjointly with the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and shall deny that wonderful and singular conversion of the whole substance of the bread into the Body, and of the whole substance of the wine into the Blood, the species only of the bread and wine remaining which conversion indeed the Catholic Church most aptly calls Transubstantiation; let him be anathema.

–CANON III.  If any one shall deny, that, in the venerable sacrament of the Eucharist, the whole Christ is contained under each species, and under every part of each species, when separated; let him be anathema.

–CANON IV.  If any one shall say, that, after the consecration is completed, the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ are not in the admirable sacrament of the Eucharist, but are there only during the use, whilst it is being taken, and not either before or after; and that, in the hosts, or consecrated particles, which after communion are reserved or remain, the true body of the Lord remaineth not; let him be anathema.

–CANON VI.  If any one shall say, that in the holy sacrament of the Eucharist, Christ, the only begotten Son of God, is not to be adored with even the worship external of latria, and is, consequently, neither to be venerated with a festive celebration, nor to be solemnly borne about in processions, according to the laudable and universal rite and custom of the holy Church; or, is not to be proposed publicly to the people to be worshiped , and that the worshipers thereof are idolaters; let him be anathema.

–CANON VIII.  If any one shall say, that Christ, presented in the Eucharist, is eaten spiritually only, and not also sacramentally and really; let him be anathema.

–CANON IX.  If any one shall deny, that all and each of Christ’s faithful of both sexes are bound, when they have attained to years of discretion, to communicate every year, at least at Easter, in accordance with the precept of Holy Mother Church; let him be anathema.

–CANON XI.  If any one shall say, that faith alone is a sufficient preparation for receiving the sacrament of the most holy Eucharist; let him be anathema.

ON THE MOST HOLY SACRAMENT OF PENANCE

–CANON I.  If any one shall say, that in the Catholic Church penance is not truly and properly a sacrament, instituted by Christ our Lord for reconciling the faithful unto God, as often as they fall into sin after baptism; let him be anathema.

–CANON II.  If any one, confounding the sacraments, shall say, that baptism is itself the sacrament of Penance, as though these two sacraments were not distinct, and that therefore penance is not rightly called a second plank after shipwreck; let him be anathema.

–CANON III.  If any one shall say, that those words of the Lord the Saviour, Receive ye the Holy Ghost, whose sins ye shall remit, they are remitted unto them, and whose sins ye shall retain, they are retained are not to be understood of the power of remitting and of retaining sins in the sacrament of Penance, as the Catholic Church has always from the beginning understood them; but wrests them, contrary to the institution of this sacrament, to the power of preaching the Gospel; let him be anathema.

–CANON VI.  If any one shall deny, either that sacramental confession was instituted, or is necessary unto salvation, of divine right; or shall say, that the manner of confessing secretly to a priest alone, which the Catholic Church hath ever observed from the beginning, and doth observe, is alien  from the institution  and command of Christ, and is an human invention; let him be anathema.

–CANON X. If any one shall say, that priests, who are in deadly sin, have not the power of binding and of loosing; or, that not priests alone are the ministers of absolution, but that unto all and each of the faithful of Christ it is said: Whatsoever ye shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven [ ] and whose sins ye shall remit, they shall be remitted unto them; and whose sins ye shall retain, they are retained by virtue of which words every one is able to absolve sins, to wit, public [sins] by rebuke only; provided the person rebuked yield thereto, and secret [sins] by a voluntary confession; let him be anathema. 

–CANON XII.  If any one shall say, that the whole punishment is always remitted by God, together with the guilt, and that the satisfaction of penitents is no other than the faith whereby they learn that Christ hath made satisfaction for them; let him be anathema.

–CANON XIII.  If any one shall say, that satisfaction for sins, as regards to their temporal punishment, is in no wise made to God, through the merits of Christ, by the punishments inflicted by Him, and patiently borne, or by those enjoined by the priest, nor even by those voluntarily undertaken, as by fastings, prayers, almsgivings, or by other works also of piety; and that, therefore, the best penance is merely a new life; let him be anathema.

TOUCHING THE SACRIFICE OF THE MASS

–CANON I.  If any one shall say, that in the mass a true and proper sacrifice is not offered to God; or, that to be offered is nothing else but that Christ is given unto us to eat; let him be anathema.

–CANON II.  If any one shall say, that by those words, Do this in remembrance of me, Christ did not institute the apostles priests; or, did not ordain that they, and other priests,  should offer His own body and blood; let him be anathema. 

–CANON III.  If any one shall say, that the sacrifice of the mass is only a sacrifice of praise and  of thanksgiving; or, that it is a bare commemoration of the sacrifice offered on the cross, but not a propitiatory sacrifice; or, that it avails him only who receiveth; and that it ought not to be offered for the living and the dead for sins, punishments, satisfactions, and other necessities; let him be anathema.

–CANON IV.  If any one shall say, that, by the sacrifice of the mass, a blasphemy is thrown upon the most holy sacrifice of Christ offered on the cross; or, that it is thereby derogated from; let him be anathema.

–CANON V.  If any one shall say, that it is an imposture to celebrate masses in honour of the saints, and for obtaining their intercession with God, as the Church intends; let him be anathema.

–CANON VI.  If any one shall say, that the canon of the mass contains errors, and is therefore to be abrogated; let him be anathema.

ON THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDERS

–CANON I.  If any one shall say, that there is not in the New Testament  a visible and external priesthood: or that there is not any power of consecrating and offering the true body and blood of the Lord, and of remitting and retaining sins; but only an office and bare ministry of preaching the Gospel; or that those who do not preach are not priests at all; let him be anathema.

—CANON II.  If any one shall say, that, beside the priesthood, there are not in the Catholic Church, other orders, both greater and lesser, by which, as by certain steps, advance is made unto the priesthood; let him be anathema.

–CANON III.   If any one shall say, that orders, or sacred ordination , is not truly and properly a sacrament instituted by Christ the Lord; or, that it is a certain human figment devised by men unskilled in ecclesiastical matters; or, that it is only a certain kind for choosing ministers of the word of God and of the sacraments; let him be anathema.

–CANON IV.  If any one shall say, that, by sacred ordination the Holy Ghost is not given; and that the bishops do therefore vainly say, Receive ye the Holy Ghost; or, that a character is not thereby imprinted; or, that he who has once been a priest, can again be a layman; let him be anathema. 

–CANON V.  If any one shall say, that the sacred unction which the Church makes use of in holy ordination, is not only not required, but is to be despised and is pernicious, as likewise the other ceremonies of Order; let him be anathema. 

–CANON VI.  If any one shall say, that, in the Catholic Church there is not a hierarchy instituted by divine ordination, consisting of bishops, priests, and ministers; let him be anathema.

–CANON VII.  If any one shall say, that bishops are not superior to priests; or, that they have not the power of confirming and ordaining; or, that the power which they possess is common to them with the priests; or, that orders, conferred by them, with the consent or vocation of the people, or of the secular power, are invalid; or, that those who have neither been rightly ordained, nor sent, by ecclesiastical and canonical power, but come from elsewhere, are lawful ministers of the word and of the sacraments; let him be anathema.

CANON VIII.  If any one shall say, that the bishops, who are assumed by authority of the Roman Pontiff, are not legitimate and true bishops, but a human figment; let him be anathema.

TOUCHING THE INVOCATION, VENERATION, AND ON RELICS OF SAINTS, AND SACRED IMAGES

And the bishops shall carefully teach this; that, by means of the histories of the mysteries of our Redemption, depicted by paintings or other representations, the people are instructed , and strengthened in remembering, and continually reflecting on the articles of faith; as also that great profit is derived from all sacred images, not only because the people are thereby admonished of the benefit gifts which have been bestowed upon them by Christ, but also because the miracles of God through the means of the saints, and their salutary examples, are set before the eyes of the faithful; that so for those things they may give God thanks; may order their own life and manners in imitation of the saints; and may be excited to adore and love God, and to cultivate piety.  But if any one shall teach-or-think contrary to these decrees; let him be anathema.

 

 DECREE CONCERNING INDULGENCES

Whereas the power of conferring indulgences was granted by Christ to the Church; and she has, even in the most ancient times, used the said power, delivered unto her of God; the sacred and holy synod teaches and enjoins, that the use of indulgences , most salutary for the Christian people, and approved of by the authority of sacred councils, is to be retained in the Church; and it condemns with anathema those who either assert that they are useless, or who deny that there is in the Church the power of granting them.  In granting them, however, it desires that, according to the ancient and approved custom in the Church, moderation be observed, lest, by excessive facility, ecclesiastical discipline be enervated. 

ON RECEIVING AND OBSERVING

THE DECREES OF THE COUNCIL

So great has been the calamitousness of these times, and the inverate malice of the heretics, that there has been nothing ever so clear in the statement of our faith, or so surely settled, which they, at the persuasion of the enemy of the human race, have not defiled by some sort of error.  For which cause the holy synod hath taken especial care to condemn and anathematize the principal errors of the heretics of our time, and to deliver and teach the true and Catholic doctrine; even as it has condemned, anathematized, and defined.  And whereas so many bishops, summoned from the various provinces of the Christian world, cannot be absent for so long a time without great casting away of the flock committed to them, and without universal danger; and whereas no hope  remains that the heretics, after having been so often invited, even with the public faith which they desired, and so long expected , will come hither later; and as it is therefore necessary to put an end at length to the sacred council: it now remains for it to admonish in the Lord all princes, as it hereby does, so to afford their assistance as not to permit the things which it has decreed to be corrupted or violated by heretics; but that they be by them and all others devoutly received and faithfully observed.

ACCLAMATIONS OF THE FATHERS AT THE CLOSE OF THE COUNCIL

Cardinal.   Anathema to all heretics.

Answer.  Anathema.  Anathema.

THE BULL OF OUR HOLY LORD, THE LORD PIUS, BY DIVINE PROVIDENCE FOURTH POPE,

TOUCHING THE FORM OF THE OATH OF THE PROFESSION OF FAITH

Pius, Bishop, servant of the servants of God, for the perpetual memory hereof. 

…I recognize the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Roman Church as the mother and mistress of all churches; and I promise and swear true obedience to the Roman pontiff, successor of St. Peter, prince of the apostles, and vicar of Jesus Christ.  All other things also delivered, defined, and declared by the sacred canons and ecumenical councils , and particularly by the holy Synod of Trent, I undoubtingly receive and profess, and at the same time all things contrary, and any heresies soever condemned by the church, and rejected and anathematized, I, in like manner, condemn, reject, and anathematize.  This true Catholic faith, outside of which no one can be saved, which at present I readily profess and truly hold, I, N. (the person’s name) promise, vow, and swear, that I will most steadfastly retain and confess the same entire and undefiled to the last breath of life (with God’s help), and that I will take care, as far as shall be in my power, that it be held, taught, and preached by my subjects, or those whose charge shall devolve on me in virtue of my office.  So help me God, and these holy gospels of God.

 –Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent  SOURCE

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE VIRGIN MARY FEAST DAYS

FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATIONMARCH 25th –This feast day commemorates the day when the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she was to be the mother of Jesus Christ.  However, as I shared with you in PART 2,  March 25th, The Feast of the Annunciation is also the pagan celebration of their “Queen of Heaven.”  In the quick capture that I took from the website, ‘A Chapel of Our Mother God,’ it states:

“After Her resurrection, she returns to the Middle World (where she first came at Her birthtime of Nativity) and takes up Her full royalty as Princess of the World.  This is celebrated on the Day of Our Sovereign Lady (Culverine 5th/March 25th).

ASSUMPTION OF MARYAUGUST 15th — This feast was first declared in 1950 by Pope Pius XII.  The belief was that Mary did not see corruption at the time of her death, but was assumed into heaven, body and soul.  And, as I also pointed out through the information I posted on Part 2…

“August 15th was originally the Assumption of the Holy Sophia” celebrated in paganism.

“For centuries celebrations were held in the honor of the goddess Isis of the Sea, who was born on this day according to mythology.  With the coming of Christianity, church leaders decided that the easiest way to handle this pagan ritual was to simply change it into a Christian holiday, hence the introduction of Assumption Day came forth.”  SOURCE

And as you can see from the painting below, the Assumption of Mary, body and soul into heaven, was not always taught.

Capture Burial of Mary painting - Restored Traditions web site picAbove picture, entitled ‘Burial of Virgin Mary’ was  found and quick captured on ‘Restored Traditions.’  Caption reads as follows: Artwork by Fra Angelico shows the apostles placing the body of Our Lady in her tomb.  Jesus Christ, above center, is surrounded by angels in heaven as he comes to collect the soul of His blessed Mother.”

IMMACULATE CONCEPTIONDECEMBER 8th The following is a quote from the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

PARA 490  “To become the mother of the Savior, Mary “was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role.”  The angel Gabriel at the moment of the annunciation salutes her as “full of grace.”  In fact, in order for Mary to be able to give the free assent of her faith to the announcement of her vocation, it was necessary that she be wholly borne by God’s grace.  “

PARA 491  “Through the centuries the church has become even more aware that Mary “full of grace” through God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception.  That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854:

The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Saviour of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin.  (Pius IX Ineffabilis Deus 1854; DS 2803).

PARA 492   “The splendor of an entirely unique holiness” by which Mary is “enriched from the first instance of her conception” comes wholly from Christ:  she is “redeemed, in a more exalted fashion, by reason of the merits of her Son.”  The Father blessed Mary more than any other created person “in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” and chose her “in Christ before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless before him in love.” (Based on Ephesians 1:3,4)

PARA 493  “The Fathers of the Eastern tradition call the Mother of God “the All-Holy” (Panagia) and celebrate her as “free from any stain of sin, as though fashioned by the Holy Spirit and formed as a new creature.”  By the grace of God Mary remained free of every personal sin her whole life long.”

PARA 494  “At the announcement that she would give birth to “the Son of the Most High” without knowing man, by the power of the Holy Spirit, Mary responded with the obedience of faith, certain that “with God nothing will be impossible: “Behold, I am the handmaiden of the Lord; let it be [done] to me according to your word.”  Thus, giving her consent to God’s word, Mary became the mother of Jesus.  Espousing the divine will for salvation wholeheartedly, without a single sin to restrain her, she gave herself entirely to the person and to the work of her Son; she did so in order to serve the mystery of redemption with him and dependent on him, by God’s grace:As St. Irenaeus says,  “Being obedient she became the cause of salvation for herself and for the whole human race.”  Hence not a few of the early Fathers gladly assert… :”The knot of Eve’s disobedience was untied by Mary’s obedience: what the virgin Eve bound through her disbelief, Mary loosened by her faith.”  Comparing her with Eve, they call Mary “the Mother of the living” and frequently claim: “Death through Eve, life through Mary.”

During my research for this post, I came across a pagan calendar and discovered that from December 7th through December 9th is the Feast of the Immanent Feminine Divine Spirit – Honoring Goddess as Maha Devi Shakti (Hindu), and that December 8th is also “a Zen Buddhist celebration of the Buddha’s enlightenment.”

Those are only the main ‘feast days’ of Mary.  There are many more days throughout the year devoted to Mary, some focusing on her alleged appearances throughout the world.  These are only a few of many other Marian feast days: February 11th — Our Lady of Lourdes, May 13th — Our Lady of Fatima, August 22nd — Queenship of Mary, October 7th — Our Lady of the Rosary, December 12th — Our Lady of Guadalupe.

DOES THE CATHOLIC CHURCH WORSHIP MARY, OR HONOR HER?

HERE IS MORE INFORMATION TO HELP YOU DECIDE

If you still aren’t convinced after reading all the information that I added to Part 2 concerning how the Catholic Church views Mary, I hope that after you read the following information concerning what the Catholic church teaches about Mary, that you will then begin to see how they elevate Mary to a position that makes her equal to Jesus Christ Himself, because they give her many of the attributes and credit due only to Jesus Christ; God in the flesh: sinless, ascended into heaven, and ever present.  And they also say that she played a role in our redemption and Christ’s resurrection, therefore coming extremely close to deifying Mary.  If you didn’t read Part 2, may I suggest, when time allows, that you take some time to see all the information I posted.  Let’s continue: 

Capture Mary New Evanelization

CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

CONCERNING MARY

PARA 966  Finally the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and conqueror of sin and death.” (506)  The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son’s Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians:

“In giving birth you kept your virginity; in your Dormition you did not leave the world, O Mother of God, but were joined to the source of Life.  You conceived the living  God and, by your prayers, will deliver our souls from death.”  (507)

PARA 967  By her complete adherence to the Father’s will, to his Son’s redemptive work, and to every prompting of the Holy Spirit, the Virgin Mary is the Church’s model of faith and charity.  Thus she is a preeminent and …wholly unique member of the Church” ; indeed, she is the “exemplary realization” (typus) (508) of the Church.

PARA 968  Her role in relation to the Church and to all humanity goes still further.  “In a wholly singular way she cooperated by her obedience, faith, hope, and burning charity in the Savior’s work of restoring supernatural life to souls.  For this reason she is a mother to us in the order of grace.”

PARA 969 “This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace continues uninterrupted from the consent which she loyally gave at the Annunciation and which she sustained without wavering beneath the cross, until the eternal fulfillment of all the elect.  Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation…Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix.” (510) LG 62

Pope Leo XIII in his encyclical October of 1891 declared:

“No one can go to the Father except through the Son, and similarly no one can go to the Son except through His mother Mary.”

The picture below clearly reveals how Catholicism portrays Mary; that she participated in Christ’s suffering and therefore shared in the atoning work of Christ.  This is pure blasphemy because it robs Jesus Christ from His complete atoning work that alone satisfied the full wrath of God that He has towards us because of our sins!

Capture Mary on the cross with Christ -cross in RomeAbove picture captured from David Cloud’s video entitled, ‘CATHOLICISM, PAST AND PRESENT’ on YouTube.

A CLASSIC BOOK IN THE FIELD OF ROMAN CATHOLIC MARIOLOGY WRITTEN BY ST. ALPHONSUS LIGUORI, A DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH

THE GLORIES OF MARY AUDIOBOOK PART ONE AND TWO

THE BIBLE COMPARED TO THE GLORIES OF MARY

The following is a quote ( a very blasphemous quote, I might add) from former Pope John Paul II that Rob Zins shares in the video I posted further down:

“Mary, by bearing her immeasurable sorrows, she has supplied what was lacking in the sufferings of Christ for His body the church.” 

And here is the pontifical prayer said by Pope Pius XII in 1950 to Mary in his celebration of the Marian Year in Rome  (that I also found in the video below) which clearly reveals the Catholic church’s view of Mary as being completely unbiblical and greatly exceeding how Scripture portrays Mary to be:

“Enraptured by the splendor of your heavenly beauty, and impelled by the anxieties of  the world, we cast ourselves into your arms.  Oh, Immaculate Mother of Jesus and our Mother, Mary.  We adore and praise the peerless richness of the sublime gifts with which God has filled you above every other mere creature.  From the moment of your conception until the day of which after your assumption into heaven He crowned you Queen of the Universe.  Oh crystal fountain of faith, bathe our minds with the eternal truths.  Oh fragrant lily of all holiness, captivate our hearts with your heavenly perfume.  Oh conqueress of evil and death, inspire in us a deep horror of sin which makes the soul detestable to God and the slave of hell.  Oh, beloved of God, hear the ardent cries which rise up from every heart in this year dedicated to you.  Then tenderly, Oh Mary, cover our aching wound, convert the wicked, dry the tears of the afflicted and the oppressed.  In your name resounding harmoniously in heaven.  Receive, O sweet Mother, our humble supplications, and above all obtain for us that on that day, happy with you, we may repeat before your throne that hymn which is sung today around your altars.  You are Glory, you are the Joy, you are the honor of our people.”

And as you can see below, the present pope, Pope Francis, is also continuing in this spiritual adultery.

Capture Pope Francis before shrine of mary -- moon under her feet pic

Capture THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY - STAR OF THE NEW EVANGELIZATION(SOURCE) <–CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

Capture Hail Mary Co Redeemer - James G McCarthy(SOURCE) <– CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

In the quick capture of the article above, it says in part:

“Not only did Mary offer her Son to God, but she remained at the cross to suffer with Christ.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church #964)

“According to the Church, Mary’s sufferings were so intense that they brought her to the threshold of death.  She, says the Church, participated with Jesus Christ in the very painful act of redemption.” (Pope Pius XI, Explorata Res)

“Mary suffered and, as it were, nearly died with her suffering Son; for the salvation of mankind she renounced  her mother’s rights and, as far as it depended on her, offered her Son to placate divine justice; so we may well say that she with Christ redeemed mankind.” (Pope Benedict XV, Inter Sodalicia) 

ROB ZINS–THE IDOLATRY OF MARY WORSHIP: MAKING MARY

THE FOURTH MEMBER OF THE DIVINE TRINITY

In Genesis 3:1-15, is the account of the fall of man.  And in verses 13-15 where God addresses Eve and the serpent, we read the following:

“Then the LORD God said to the woman,  “What is this you have done?”  The woman said,  “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”  So the LORD God said to the serpent,  “Because you have done this,  “Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals!  You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.  And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (NIV Translation)

In the Catholic Douay Reims Bible, this is what you will read:

“I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed; she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel.”

And, as you can see in the picture below, it is Mary who is shown to be the one who is crushing the serpent’s head!

Capture Mary crushing serpents head - Restored Traditions picPicture above was found on Restored Traditions website and entitled:  Immaculate Conception by Rubens Caption reads: “Sunlight radiated from the Virgin Mary, represented as the Immaculate Conception in this painting by P.P. Rubens, as she crushes the head of the devil.”

In the footnotes at the bottom of my Douay Rheims Bible it says the following concerning Genesis 3:15:

Verse 15.  She shall crush. Ipsa, the woman; so diverse of the fathers read this place, comfortably to the Latin; others read it ipsum, that is, the seed. The sense is the same: for it is by her seed, Jesus Christ, that the woman crushes the serpent’s head. (For detailed information exposing this distortion of Scripture, please watch the video I posted below, entitled, ‘Roman Catholicism Series #6 Rome’s Virgin Mary – Queen of Heaven or Doctrine of Demons’ starting at the 33:22 minute mark.)

WHAT DOES SCRIPTURE SAY?

I think at this point I’ve shared enough information with you so that hopefully you now realize that Catholicism indeed places much more emphasis on Mary than they do on Jesus. So now let’s get our focus where it belongs –on the Word of God–and let’s examine the Scriptures to see if what we have learned about Mary from Catholic teachings thus far lines up with what God’s Word has to say concerning Mary. Yes, Mary was blessed among women because she was chosen to be the mother of Jesus, but does Scripture indicate in any way that we are to come to Mary, and that Mary is to be worshiped? How did Jesus act when He was with Mary? Observe what takes place in the following verses, and carefully read all the rest of the verses and you will see that Scripture does not indicate in any way that Mary should be given the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix. These are titles that apply to Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, yet the Catholic church is attempting to give these titles to her, and supposedly at her request!

“Jesus was still talking to the people when his mother and brothers arrived. They stood outside, asking to speak with him. So one of the people there said to him, “Look, your mother and brothers are standing outside, and they want to speak with you.” Jesus answered, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look! Here are my mother and my brothers!” Whoever does what my Father in heaven wants him to do is my brother, my sister, my mother.”(Matthew 12:46-50) SHLT

“While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak with him. Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12:46-50) NIV

“Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying your heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke and put it on you, and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit; and you will find rest. The yoke I will give you is easy, and the load I will put on you is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) (SHLT)

“Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, amd you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) NIV

Jesus said, “And remember! I will be with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b) SHLT

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b) NIV

 

“The last day of the feast was the most important. On that day Jesus stood up and said in a loud voice, “Whoever is thirsty should come to me and drink. As the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes in me, streams of living water will pour out from his heart. Jesus said this about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were going to receive. At that time the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not been raised to glory.” (John 7:37-39) SHLT

“On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him. By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.” (John 7:37-39) NIV

“If you love me, you will obey my commandments. I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, the Spirit of Truth, to stay with you forever. The Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and make you remember all that I have told you.” (John 14:15,16,26) SHLT

“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever– the Spirit of Truth. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:15,16,26) NIV

 

“The Helper will come–the Spirit of truth, who comes from the Father. I will send him to you from the Father, and he will speak about me.” (John 15:26) SHLT

“When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.” (John 15:26) NIV

 

“But now I am going to him who has sent me; yet none of you asks me,  ‘Where are you going?’ And now that I have told you, sadness has filled your hearts. But I tell you the truth: it is better for you that I go away, because if I do not go, the Helper will not come to you. But if I do go away, then I will send him to you. And when he comes he will prove to the people of the world that they are wrong about sin, and about what is right, and about God’s judgment. But when the Spirit of Truth comes, he will lead you into all the truth.” (John 16:7,8,13) SHLT

“But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: But when he, the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.” (John 16:7,8,13) NIV

 

“Jesus is the one of whom the Scriptures says, ‘The stone that you the builders despised turned out to be the most important stone.’ Salvation is to be found through him alone; for there is no one else in all the world, whose name God has given to men, by whom we can be saved.” (Acts 4:11,12) SHLT

“He is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:11,12) NIV

 

“What the law could not do, because human nature was weak, God did. He condemned sin in human nature by sending his own Son who came with a nature like man’s sinful nature to do away with sin.” (Romans 8:3) SHLT

“For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending His own Son, in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.” (Romans 8:3) NIV

 

In the same way the Spirit also comes to help us, weak that we are. For we do not know how we ought to pray; the Spirit himself pleads with God for us, in groans that words cannot express. And God, who sees into the hearts of men, knows what the thought of the Spirit is; because the Spirit pleads with God on behalf of his people and in accordance with his will.” (Romans 8:26,27) SHLT

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” (Romans 8:26,27) NIV

 

“For there is one God, and there is one who brings God and men together, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for all men.” (1 Timothy 2:5) SHLT

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all men…” (1 Timothy 2:5) NIV

 

“I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols.” (Isaiah 42:8) NIV

 

“But, as it is, Jesus has been given priestly work which is much greater than theirs, just as the covenant which he arranged between God and men is a better one, because it is based on promises of better things.” (Hebrews 8:6) SHLT

“But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which He is a mediator is superior to the old ones, and it is founded on better promises.” (Hebrews 8:6) NIV

“But Christ has already come as the High Priest of the good things that are already here. The tent in which he serves is more greater and more perfect; it is not made by men, that is, it is not a part of this created world. When Christ went through the tent and entered once and for all into the Most Holy Place, he did not take the blood of goats and calves to offer as a sacrifice; rather he took his own blood and obtained eternal salvation for us. The blood of goats and  bulls and the ashes of the burnt calf are sprinkled on the people who are ritually unclean, and make them clean by taking away their ritual impurity. Since this is true, how much more is accomplished by the blood of Christ! Through the eternal Spirit he offered himself as a perfect sacrifice to God. His blood will make our consciences clean from useless works, so that we may serve the living God.” (Hebrews 9:11-14) SHLT

“When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” (Hebrews 9:11-14) NIV

“For you know what was paid to set you free from the worthless manner of life you received from your ancestors. It was nothing that loses its value, such as silver or gold; you were set free from the costly sacrifice of Christ, who was like a lamb without defect or spot.” (1 Peter 1:18,19) SHLT

“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (1 Peter 1:18,19) NIV

 

“For Christ himself died for you; once and for all he died for sins, a good man for bad men, in order to lead you to God.” (1 Peter 3:18) SHLT

“For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to God.” (1 Peter 3:18) NIV

“…Jesus Christ, who has gone to heaven and is at the right side of God, ruling over all angels and heavenly authorities and powers.” (1 Peter 3:21b,22) SHLT

“…Jesus Christ who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand — with angels, authorities, and powers in submission to him.” (1 Peter 3:21b,22) NIV

 

“I write you this, my children, so that you will not sin; but if anyone does sin, we have Jesus Christ, the righteous, who pleads for us with the Father. And Christ himself is the means by which our sins are forgiven, and not our sins only, but also the sins of all men.” (1 John 2:1,2) SHLT

“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense –Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:1,2) NIV

THE I AM STATEMENTS OF JESUS

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven.” (John 6:51) SHLT

 

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in the darkness.” (John 8:12) SHLT

 

“And you will die in your sins if you do not believe that ‘I Am Who I Am.’ ” (John 8:24b) SHLT

“I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied. “Before Abraham was born, ‘I Am.’ ” (John 8:58) SHLT

 “I am the door. Whoever comes in by me will be saved; he will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only in order to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come in order that they might have life, life in all its fullness.” (John 10:9,10) SHLT

 

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd is willing to die for the sheep.” (John 10:11) SHLT

 

“As for me, the Father chose me and sent me into the world. How, then, can you say that I insult God because I said that I am the Son of God?” (John 10:36)SHLT

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25) SHLT

 “Jesus answered him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me.” (John 14:6) SHLT

 THE CONCLUSION OF MY TESTIMONY

CHRISTIANITY ACCORDING TO GOD’S WORD AND NOT MAN’S —

A TURNING POINT

When a person comes to the point of no longer placing their trust in their religion, their church, or their “good works” to save them, and instead simply realizes they are a wretched sinner in the sight of a completely Holy God and chooses to turn from sin and place their trust in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation, and makes the decision to follow Him with their whole heart, they are not promised a perfect life free from problems and that every prayer that is prayed will be answered according to the desire of one’s heart.  On the contrary!  God’s Word clearly shows us throughout the New Testament that the cost of following Jesus Christ comes at a high price and that we are to ‘count the cost‘ (Luke 14:25-33).  With that in mind, I’d now like to tell you that I waited and prayed for over 18 years for my husband to turn to Jesus and to return home… (yes, you read that right.  For over 18 years I waited and endured rejection and heartache, and for over 18 years I also prayed and cried out to God asking Him to reveal His love and His truth to my ‘husband’) …my faith was definitely put to the test!  And even though I went through a period of time where I was very angry at God because of the painful circumstances in my life and how things were not at all turning out the way I believed, prayed, and trusted Him to work things out, one day towards the end of 1995 I opened my NIV Bible and my eyes fell upon this verse in Luke 18:8b, which says,

“But when the Son of Man returns, will He find faith on the earth?”

It was then that I clearly realized that I was at a serious turning point in my life, and that I had to make a decision:  Was I going to love God simply for who He is, or was I going to base my love for Him on what He did or didn’t do for me?  The reality of the seriousness of the spiritual condition of my heart led me to make an even deeper commitment to Him, and my life verse from that point on became based on Daniel Chapter 3 when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s faith was tested when they were told that they would be thrown into the fiery furnace if they did not bow down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had erected.  Their response was:

“If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king.  But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”  (Daniel 3:17,18)

And, by God’s grace alone, from that point on I decided in my heart that even though God was able to bring my ‘husband’ to repentance and bring him home again, even if He doesn’t, I would choose to love Him and serve Him for the rest of my life simply because He paid the full price for my sins and revealed the true gospel and His love to me and He set me free from sin, shame, and guilt, and gave me a peace beyond all human understanding.  If I could have everything this world has to offer if I chose to reject God’s love and forgiveness,  it wouldn’t cause me to consider changing my mind not even for a second!

A SAID FAITH, OR A GENUINE FAITH — EXAMINE YOURSELF

The trials of life will sometimes stretch us way beyond our ability to endure on our own strength, but God’s Word gives us the reasons why:

We want to remind you, brothers, of the trouble we had in the province of Asia.  The burdens laid upon us were so great and so heavy, that we gave up all hope of living.  We felt the sentence of death had been passed against us.  But this happened so that we should rely, not on ourselves, but only on God, who raises the dead.  (2 Corinthians 1:8,9) 

“But to keep me from being puffed up with pride because of the many wonderful things I saw, I was given a painful physical ailment, which acts as Satan’s messenger to beat me and keep me from being proud.  Three times I prayed to the Lord about this, and asked Him to take it away.  His answer was,  “My grace is all you need; for My power is strongest when you are weak.” I am most happy, then, to be proud of my weaknesses, in order to feel the protection of Christ’s power over me.  I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties for Christ’s sake.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.  Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you –unless, of course, you fail the test?”  (2 Corinthians 13:5)

God’s Word also shows us that ‘our faith will be tested to prove if it is genuine or not.’

“Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Because of his great mercy, he gave us new life by raising Jesus Christ from the dead. This fills us with a living hope, and so we look forward to possess the rich blessings that God keeps for his people.  He keeps them for you in heaven, where they cannot decay, or spoil or fade away.  They are for you, who through faith are kept safe by God’s power for the salvation which is ready to be revealed at the end of time. Be glad about this, even though it may now be necessary for you to be sad for a while because of the many kinds of trials you suffer. Their purpose is to prove that your faith is genuine. Even gold, which can be destroyed, is tested by fire; and so your faith, which is much more precious than gold, must also be tested that it may endure. Then you will receive praise and glory and honor on the Day when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:3-7) 

IN CONCLUSION

In spite of what some pastors and teachers may say, having a strong faith to believe that God can and will do what you pray and believe Him to do, does not guarantee that He will reward our faith by protecting us from sickness and disasters, and performing every miracle we are praying for –including physical healing, deliverance from persecution, healing for our marriage, and salvation for our spouse or another loved one.  Hebrews 11:36-40 gives us a completely different outcome for these Christians who were clearly commended for their faith:

“Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put into prison.  They were stoned and sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword.  They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated–  the world was not worthy of them.  They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.  These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised.”

*And so it was with me; in spite of the fact that I believed with all of my heart that God could and would restore our marriage, and even though I remained completely faithful to my ‘husband’ for over 18 years as I waited and hoped and prayed and believed that he would repent and return home, Horace chose to file for divorce in July of 2000. Here’s how it all began to unravel:

In September of 1999 my ‘husband’ told my son that he wanted us to get our home ready to sell. That’s how I found out! Not from him, but through our son.  Fear tried to take hold of me, but I chose to cling to God for my strength and peace. Then my dad died on October 31st 1999. The devastation in my life was mounting, but God’s grace was proving to be sufficient, and His peace went beyond all human understanding.

Then, on Saturday, July 1, 2000, I went to the store right before Horace came to pick up our children to take them out for a few hours. When I came back, I walked into our home to find a white business envelope with my name printed on it. I could tell it was written by my ‘husband,’ and I immediately knew what it was –a letter asking for a divorce. I ripped opened the envelope and found a typewritten letter in a cold, business form style, with the date and my name and address typed out. There was no greeting in his letter; just this short and to-the-point message that confirmed what I suspected:

“…perhaps it is time for us to begin actions aimed toward the resolution of our relationship. 

While this is certainly not a pleasant subject, it is something that needs to be addressed so that we may be able to determine a reasonable and equitable distribution of our assets, and proceed with our lives. 

Please respond either by mail sent to (address withheld) , or you may phone me at (phone# withheld) to discuss this proposal.”

His signature was typed and written above it, as well, in the usual business letter style. 

Needless to say, I was crushed by how cold and heartless his letter was, but I guess there’s no nice way to tell someone that you want a divorce.  Plus, he was oftentimes very cold and verbally abusive to me throughout our marriage, so why should he be any different now?  After I cried and prayed, I decided to write a letter in response to his.  In part, this is what I wrote:

Horace,

First I just want to express my deep appreciation to you for paying all the bills throughout all these years, and saying that you would continue until the house is sold.  However, I had always hoped that the time would come when you would be truly sorry for walking out on me, Penny, and Peter.  I thought that you would one day desire to make things work between us instead of allowing our home to be sold and wanting our marriage to end.  “…the reality of seeing it, [the letter]  and the coldness of the business-like form that you chose, caused me to cry from the depths of my heart.

Horace, it doesn’t have to end this way.  In the first paragraph of your letter, you wrote,  “…perhaps it is time for us to begin actions aimed toward the resolution of our relationship.”  You do have another choice; it could also be time to take steps aimed towards the restoration of our relationship and marriage. 

My love and forgiveness towards you are not  dependent upon your acceptance of the truth put forth in God’s Word.  However, your peace of mind, freedom from guilt and shame, and your eternal destiny are.  (I said that to him because of a previous conversation we had when he had said to me, “I feel so guilty; I feel so bad about myself.”)

The choice is up to you…if you want to end what could be a wonderful marriage, after sorrow is expressed, and trust is once earned, that choice is in your hands alone to make. 

As I said to you in the past, I made a vow before God to love you forever, and I will not break it.  If you want a divorce you will have to be the one to file.  I can never force you to love me, but I will not be the one to begin the process of ending our marriage. 

Mary

My faith was now being put to the ultimate test!  Even then I still continued to pray for a miracle, but after an extremely long and painful  2 1/2 year divorce process, on January 31, 2003 the judge declared that our marriage was dissolved. 

My lawyer had told me the day before our final day in court that I would be allowed three minutes to express my thoughts to Horace in front of the judge (who was actually Jewish).  So, since one of my favorite verses is “make the most of every opportunity,” (Ephesians 5:15,16) I prayed for God to give me the words to say that would not only plant a seed in Horace’s heart and in the heart of the judge, but also I prayed and asked God to give me words to say that would glorify Him in the midst of these tragic circumstances. Except for six personal words that I left out, here is what I said in front of a court filled with people that helped bring some closure to me in this painful and trying time in my life, and also brought a sense of peace to my shattered, broken heart:

Horace,

Because of my love and commitment to you, and to the God of the Bible — the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob — and to the Savior He provided for us — Jesus Christ — I never “gave up the faith”…in Him, or in the fact that through receiving His love and forgiveness, our marriage could be restored.  Even though I had Biblical grounds for divorce, I chose to forgive you, to remain faithful to you, to wait, and hope, and not file for divorce.  In spite of all the hurt and rejection I have felt, I still have a love for you, but I now release you, knowing I cannot make you love me.  I do not regret waiting for you all these  18 years, for through it all I have learned what is means to truly love and forgive, and I have come to know the reality of God’s love and faithfulness to me.

The judge was obviously moved by what God had put on my heart to say, because when I had finished reading my letter, she said, 

“Wow.  I never heard anything like that before!” 

When the court proceedings finally ended that day and everyone was walking out, with God’s peace and courage in my heart, I walked up to Horace and calmly said, “Good-bye, Horace,”  but he didn’t even look at me or say anything to me at all. 

God had abundantly given me His peace and His grace that was sufficient to carry me through that day! And even though I was very sad when I realized our marriage was actually over, I was finally at peace because I no longer had to deal with all of his lies, deceptive ways, and manipulation tactics. The only tears I shed that day were tears that came trickling down my cheeks out of a deep sadness that came over me when I removed my wedding rings that night. I felt as if I was removing a literal part of me, and, in a sense, I guess I was.

So many more painful things happened throughout our ‘marriage,’ but it really isn’t necessary for me to share all the dirty details with you. Lord willing, I plan on sharing a little more of what I went through in the book I am in the process of writing, but I tried to just give you a short version (believe it or not) of my testimony here.

In spite of the fact that my hopes and dreams had been shattered, in the end I came to know God’s love and faithfulness in an even deeper way –especially through those last 2 1/2 years!  Even though there were definitely short periods of time through all those years when I was angry at God, when it was all said and done, instead of being angry at God and losing my faith, my faith grew even stronger! In spite of the fact that I fought against going through the many trials that came my way at the start of many of those trials, I came to welcome the testing of my faith throughout all those years because I wanted to show God that, in spite of all the circumstances, I loved Him for all He had done for me to make me His own.  

When the trials became overwhelming, I always forced my mind to dwell on these verses:

“…when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10b) 

“Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21)

“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)

“But He said to me,  “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.”  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9,10)

TO PUT IT BLUNTLY — MY FINAL THOUGHTS ON CATHOLICISM

To put it bluntly and to sum it up, Catholicism presents “another Jesus” (2 Corinthians 11:4) and “another Gospel,” (Galatians 1:6-9) both having no power to save. Catholicism presents the false hope of a nonexistent place called ‘Purgatory’ by twisting Scriptures (and adding to the text what clearly is not there), and making Catholics believe they have a second chance after death to be “purged” from their sins, when Scripture is very clear that Jesus purged us from our sins.  (Hebrews 1:3) Catholicism robs Jesus of His glory by reducing Him to a helpless babe in the arms of Mary, and elevates Mary to a level that makes her equal with Jesus Christ because they claim she had a role in our redemption.  Catholicism gives Mary many attributes that belong to God alone (the All-Holy one, CCC #2030, CCC #2677)and have no Scriptural basis. Roman Catholicism is working towards proclaiming Mary as Co-Redemptrix, and continues the blasphemy of the Sacrifice of the Mass, thus making Jesus a continual “victim” and an offering for sin, when in fact He is the Victor over sin and the grave; Jesus paid the debt to our sins in full and declared, “It is finished.”  The veil in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, thus signifying that God the Father accepted the death of His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, as satisfying His complete wrath He has towards us because of our sins. Catholicism claims that the Sacrifice of the Mass is a “bloodless sacrifice,” when, according to God’s Word, “…without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”  (Hebrews 9:22)

“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

“This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:9,10)

Jesus, as revealed in God’s Word, is the risen Savior who is now seated in heaven at the right side of the Father and lives to intercede on our behalf before the Father.  (Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:23-25)  The Jesus of Catholicism, however, is shown as still hanging on the cross and is presented to Catholics as the Eucharistic Jesus; a wafer worshiped when on display in an elaborately decorated monstrance and placed on altars around the world, and who is called down from heaven continually during the ‘sacrifice of the mass’ that takes place countless numbers of times in Catholic churches worldwide. 

Catholicism makes the claim that they are the only ones who have the “real presence” of Jesus by their teaching that the bread and wine actually becomes transformed into the body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus, (by the process known as ‘transubstantiation’) thus luring many Protestants into Catholicism because they seek to “experience God” and fail to truly test teachings like that in light of Scripture.

ON A VERY PERSONAL NOTE

There are many important reasons why I wanted to share my testimony with you, but my very personal reason is because of something my dad said to my mom shortly before he died:

“I wonder if I’m going to purgatory?” 

I was so deeply grieved and righteously angry when I found out that he had said that!  I had shared the gospel with him so many times, and had given him a Bible, and prayed for his salvation, asking God to open his mind to the Scriptures so that the truth of His Word would set him free from the false teachings of Catholicism knowing that He alone can do that work in a person’s heart to bring them to salvation.  And yet it seemed to me that in the final moments before he died he was still bound by the fear of death and deceived by the man-made teaching of purgatory and may not have embraced the joyful truth of all that Jesus had accomplished through His sinless life, His completely atoning death, and His resurrection that brought us justification by simply repenting of sin and choosing to place our trust completely in what Jesus Christ has already done instead of in our own attempts to try and earn our way into heaven by our “good works.” 

I was angry at the Roman Catholic system because their teachings blind the minds of their people — including my dear father —  from seeing Biblical truth because they make their people dependent from birth until death on the Church to save them, instead of teaching the sufficiency  of Jesus’ death as full payment for sin and trusting Christ alone for salvation as revealed in God’s Word!  Therefore, even though I was angry at God for a brief moment because my dad seemed to have died without assurance of salvation, the fact still remained that the gospel, as revealed in His Word, was true! So from that point on I was even more determined to do all that I could do in order to reach my family and all Catholics with the truth that is so clearly revealed in their Bibles so that they might come to the knowledge of the true gospel and live and die with assurance of eternal life and not die without hope!  I still continue to hold on to hope that in those final seconds before my dad actually died that God was faithful to bring the truth of His Word to his mind, and that he embraced the joyful truth that Jesus Christ paid the debt for all of his sins in full! 

Regardless of the decision that my dad made in that very last moment before he breathed his final breath, I will always be a follower of Jesus Christ who is determined to do all I can do — with God’s help — to make the truth of His Word known to every person, whether they are a Catholic, Buddhist, New Ager, Mormon, Jehovah’s Witness, or whatever false religious system a person has chosen to embrace that is leading them astray, so that they will come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:4)

YOU MAY BE WONDERING

Some of you may be wondering: 

“So, how is your life now? Did God bring you a ‘knight in shining armor,’ to reward you for your faithfulness, and are you now living a “happily ever after” kind of life?”

Well… not quite. I am still single and going through a different kind of trial; this one is health-related. To make a long story short, in April of 2010 right before Easter, I was diagnosed with a very slow moving form of Leukemia called CLL; Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. Praise God, even though I was briefly devastated by the news because I thought that my life would soon be over, I saw how merciful God was to me by allowing it to be a a very slow moving form. My doctor said that most people live for at least 20 years with this form of Leukemia. After fighting this for at least 4 1/2 years now, (because no one knows for sure how long I have actually had this) I am still at stage zero, which means it is in my blood but has not progressed any further. Besides being a little tired at times, I am doing very well! My doctor continues to tell me, 

“You are going to live a looooong time! Just keep doing what you’re doing!” 

I have already seen how God has used this trial to bring glory Him; it’s easy to live for God when things are going well, but people watch how we as Christians respond to tragedies to see if we continue to live for Him when our world turns completely upside down, and my family has seen me go through a lot over the years! During a recent conversation with  my mom she made a comment on how strong my faith has been with all I have gone through and continue to go through, which then gave me another  opportunity to share about Jesus with her and how He gives a peace that is real and surpasses all human understanding, and I also used it as an  opportunity to share the gospel with her again. If God can use what I am going through as a way to share the gospel with my family and others, then I consider this trial to be a blessing!

Lord willing, I’m considering writing about this physical trial in greater detail in the future hoping that I might be an  encouragement to others who may be going through something similar, so be watching for that sometime in the Spring of 2015. (UPDATE: Lord willing, make that the Spring of 2016).

Now, since I lost my job of thirteen years at the end of October of 2013 (due to the previously mentioned health issue, though no one in management will admit to that) I am looking for a job as a Christian writer and will be signing up on a website called ‘Faithwriters’ trusting that if this is God’s will for me, that one day this will happen. (UPDATE: I now have a part-time job and decided not to sign up on Faithwriters, but to just continue writing on my blog when time allows. If God desires me to have a job as a Christian writer, He will bring it to pass in His way and in His timing, so that He will  receive all the glory).

I am also trying to serve my mom and to show her that I love her and that she has worth and value by helping take care of her as she is trying to regain her ability to walk again after an injury in March of 2014, as well as  suffering from a bad case of the Shingles at the same time, and breaking her leg in March of 2015. I can now see God’s ‘hand’ in all of this, and came to realize that it was His will for me to no longer have my job so that I would be available to help and to encourage my mom at this difficult time in her life.

You can be certain that I am trying to ‘make the most of every opportunity’ that God gives me with my mom by lovingly sharing Biblical truth with her. My prayer is that God will open her mind to the Scriptures and use me to continue to share the glorious good news of the gospel with her, as well as use me to expose the false teachings of Roman Catholicism so that she will “know the truth”  hoping that “the truth will set her free” and that God will then fill her with His joy and peace before her life also comes to an end; a thought that has brought tears to my eyes ever since I was a little girl!  No one likes the thought of losing a loved one, but sadly there’s nothing we can do to stop the hands of time. Instead we just have to rest in the fact that God is in control and that ‘He is not willing that anyone should perish, but that all would come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

Religion and the traditions and philosophies of men can blind people from seeing Biblical truth, (Mark 7:13, Colossians 2:8) but the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. (Romans 1:16) People can be very religious and very sincere, but they can be sincerely wrong and lost for all eternity if they do not come to God through Jesus Christ and place their trust in Him alone  instead of depending on their good works or their religion to save them.

Dear Catholics, (or whatever religion you may be a part of) may I please ask you to sit down with your Bible and pray for God to show you what the truth is? In the days and weeks to come, please just take fifteen or twenty minutes every day and read through the book of Romans, Hebrews, and the gospel of John and test all you have learned over your many years of religious training against God’s Word and see what you discover.

So, I’ll end this post by asking you the same question that God impressed upon my mind and heart when I was confused, but amazed and filled with joy by the truth I discovered about Jesus while reading the little Catholic New Testament Bible that my ‘husband’ gave me back in 1980:

“Are you going to believe the Word of God?  Or the word of man?” 

 

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‘GETTING TO HEAVEN’ AN EXCELLENT DEBATE BETWEEN ROB ZINS & PAUL SYMONDS, JESUIT PRIEST (PART 1 AND 2) — TAKE HEED MINISTRIES

 

PLAYLIST — ROMAN CATHOLICISM SERIES — ROB ZINS AND LARRY WESSELS CANSWERS

 LORD WILLING, COMING SOON:

While I was writing this post on Sept. 24th 2014, I noticed the ‘word count’ was already at 5,319.  (For those of you who are wondering, the final count, from the beginning to the very end of this post, came in at 22,767) It was then that I decided to make an entirely separate post comparing the rest of the Catechism of the Catholic church against God’s Word, the Bible, so that it will be easier for you to read through all of this very important information.  If you are interested, please consider checking back in January, because, Lord willing, I am hoping to have that post completed by then.  The title of the post will be:

 ‘ARE YOU GOING TO BELIEVE THE WORD OF GOD…OR THE WORD OF MAN?’ — A COMPARISON OF GOD’S WORD, THE BIBLE, WITH THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH’ (UPDATE 8/10/15  I am still reading through the entire Catechism of the Catholic Church book which is over 700 pages long, and I am not quite sure when this post will actually be written, but I will update you when it is close to being completed).

Thank you for stopping by.  And thank you very much for taking time out of your busy day to read some of my posts and poems.  And to those of you who actually read this extremely long post, an extra big thank you goes out to you!

God Bless You

~Mary Dalke/Living4HisGlory

FURTHER READING:

Here are some articles with very good information that I found when searching for more information to add to this post for those of you who would like to do more research.  As always, please be sure to test everything in light of Scripture. (Acts 17:11)

THE FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION – ALOHA.NET

THE DOUAY RHEIMS BIBLE – THE ACHILLES HEEL OF PAPAL INFALLIBILITY – ALOHA.NET

DO CATHOLICS WORSHIP THE MOTHER MARY? AND IF THEY DO, IS IT AGAINST GOD’S WORD? — BIBLESTUDYSITE.COM

PROBLEMS WITH THE MARY OF ROMAN CATHOLICISM — LET US REASON MINISTRIES

DID JESUS HAVE BROTHERS AND SISTERS? — BIBLESTUDY.ORG

2 MACCABEES OF THE APOCRYPHA IS NOT INSPIRED SCRIPTURE

Capture For God Sent Not His Son Into The World - King James Bible Online org 

If you’d like to read ‘Part 1’ first, click HERE

“And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)

 INTRODUCTION

Besides sharing a little more of my testimony with you in this post, I will also be sharing some information with you that I found while doing further research over this past month (April) concerning Mary the mother of Jesus as taught by the Catholic church, as well as some other information that I found last year.  I will be sharing the teachings of the Catholic church with you in much greater detail concerning Mary in Part 3, as well as sharing some of the teachings of the Catholic Church concerning the Sacrifice of the Mass, purgatory, some of the ‘Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent,’ information from ‘Vatican II,’  and also information directly from the book, ‘Catechism of the Catholic Church’ which I purchased last year.  I will then share many Scriptures with you from an exact copy of the Catholic New Testament that God used to reveal the truth to me back in 1980 and will compare the teachings of the Catholic church to God’s Word with the hope that many of you who are Catholic will read those Scriptures and come to the knowledge of the truth.  Unless otherwise noted, all the verses I will be using in this post will be from my copy of the Catholic New Testament.

In this post, however, I just wanted to touch on a few important points to show you how Catholicism places much more emphasis on Mary than they do on Jesus, and therefore precious Catholics never come to the understanding of what Jesus actually accomplished through His sinless life and His death and resurrection.  Even as I am writing this I am praying for all Catholics, and especially for those Catholics who may come across this post and other posts on my site; I am asking and trusting that God has already drawn them to Himself and that He will one day give them eyes to see the glorious ‘good news’ of the gospel that is clearly revealed in Scripture, but hidden by some of the twisted teachings of Roman Catholicism.  I don’t want to offend any of you who are Catholic by saying that, but when you read all the information below, as well as all the information I will be sharing in Part 3, I hope you will then realize why I left the Catholic church, and that the reason I am sharing all this information is out of concern for you so that you might come to know the true gospel and understand what the Catholic church actually teaches.

While doing this research much of the information that I found filled me with a deep sadness and a righteous anger because of how the complete atoning work of Christ on the cross has been perverted in so many ways by some of the teachings of the Catholic church.  However, God used all this new information that I have learned to give me an even deeper love and appreciation for what Jesus did when He died in my place on the cross, and I am so very thankful that He so graciously chose to reveal the truth to me through His Word!

Finding the disturbing information that you will see below also gave me a stronger desire to “earnestly contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints,” (Jude 3) and intensified my desire to share Biblical truth with Catholics.

My prayer is that God has already prepared the hearts and minds of many Catholics, as well as any person who will find their way to this site.  And even though some of you may be offended by some of the information you may read here, I pray you will each realize that all the information I share with you on my site I share out of love and concern for you because I don’t want anyone to be deceived; for your eternal destiny depends upon what — or who — you place your trust in for your salvation.  A true Christian follows Christ, not a man or a religion.

FINDING THE TRUTH THAT SET ME FREE

As I shared with you in Part 1, ‘I had tried all that was humanly possible to try and make my marriage work.’ And what I forgot to include in Part 1 — which I will share with you now — is that in less than 2 years after we were married, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, whom my ‘husband’ proudly showed off to all his friends when I’d bring her with to many of his baseball games. He would completely ignore me, and would just talk to my daughter telling her how pretty she was, and I must confess to you that sometimes I found myself feeling jealous and even envious of my own precious daughter during the first year after she was born! Fatherhood did not cause him to change his priorities either; he continued to go out with his friends and involve himself in either playing or watching the sport of each season as they came, and would leave me home with my daughter most of the time.

When I gave birth to our precious son a few years later, I was hoping that then my ‘husband’ would finally love me because he was hoping for a son. But as delighted as he was that he now had a son, his feelings and behavior towards me did not change. (Let that be a lesson to any of you out there if you believe that having a child will finally make your husband love you! I did not personally try to have a child with that thought in mind; both of my children were complete and delightful surprises to me).  Though all children are gifts from God, I clearly see that my daughter and son were gifts from God, because both of them gave me joy, love, and a reason to live in the midst of the deep and overwhelming sadness and rejection that I was feeling because of how my ‘husband’ was treating me.  Oftentimes I would pick up my sweet daughter whom I loved with all my heart, and I would walk around the house and hold her close as I talked to her. I made up a word for these special times and referred to them as ‘wuggies; a combination of ‘walks’ and ‘hugs.’ Though she was four years old when my precious son was born, these special times continued for a while longer. I tried to carry on with this new tradition with my son, but when he got a little older he would usually squirm around just wanting to be put into his bed so he could go right to sleep.

Though I was deeply depressed in my marriage before I became a Christian, I never became suicidal.  Suicide and divorce were never (and never will be) acceptable (or Biblical) choices for me to even consider in order to release me from painful circumstances that life can bring –no matter how devastating. I did, however, (as mentioned in Part 1) shut down emotionally because I lost all hope; I had tried all I knew to do to get my ‘husband’ to respond to me, and felt like I had exhausted every idea I could possibly think to try with the hope that he would then love me and allow me to be a part of his life.

And after attempting to seek God through ‘my Catholic faith’ by going back to ‘confession’ in order to receive  forgiveness from the priest for the sins I had committed over the many years since my last confession, all I ended up with was more guilt, as well as shame and an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness which led me into an even deeper state of depression.

I wish I could remember what the very first passage of Scripture was that I actually read when my ‘husband’ gave me that ‘Sacred Heart League Edition’ of the ‘Today’s English Version’ Catholic New Testament,’ (SHLTEV) but as I mentioned in Part 1, I do remember that two of the very first books I began reading in it were Romans and Hebrews, and that Romans 4:3-8 and Hebrews 8:12 were some of the very first verses I read that caused me to seriously stop and think and question what I was taught as a Catholic. Those Scriptures brought both joy and confusion to my mind. To refresh your mind, this is what they say:

“The Scripture says, “Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous.”  A man who works is paid; his wages are not regarded as a gift, but as something he has earned.  But the man who has faith, not works, who believes in the God who declares the guilty to be innocent, it is his faith that God takes into account in order to put him right with Himself.  This is what David meant when he spoke of the happiness of the man whom God accepts as righteous, apart from any works: “Happy are those whose wrongs God has forgiven, whose sins he has covered over!   Happy is the man whose sins the Lord will not keep account of!”

“I will have mercy on their transgressions, and will no longer remember their sins.”

All I can say is that it was totally God who led me to read those two particular books; He knew right where to lead me in His Word by His Holy Spirit to reveal the truth to me that I needed to see that would begin to rip apart at the very foundation that the Catholic religion is built upon, which is: 

1)That salvation, in part, is earned by our ‘good works.’

2)The necessity of the ‘Sacrifice of the Mass.’ 

I was amazed at how  the Book of Hebrews focuses completely on Jesus, declaring Him to be “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being…”  (Hebrews 1:3)  And when I finished reading Hebrews — especially chapters 7 through 10 — God opened my eyes so that I could finally see the truth that Jesus death on the cross was sufficient to pay the debt for my sins in full!  I now saw Jesus in a completely different light; I saw Him as strong and mighty and as the Victor instead of the ‘victim’ as the teachings of the Catholic church refer to Jesus during the ‘Sacrifice of the Mass.’ (I will go in much greater detail of the teachings of the ‘Sacrifice of the Mass’ in Part 3 of my testimony).

Below are the words that the Catholic priest says as his hands are extended over the offerings of bread and wine:

“Be pleased, O God, we pray, to bless, acknowledge, and approve this offering in every respect; make it spiritual and acceptable , so that it may become for us the Body and Blood of your most beloved Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ.”

“Therefore, O Lord, as we celebrate the memorial of the blessed Passion, the Resurrection from the dead, and the glorious Ascension into heaven of Christ your Son, our Lord, we your servants and your holy people, offer to your glorious majesty from the gifts that you have given us, this pure victim, this holy victim, this spotless victim, the holy Bread of eternal life and the Chalice of everlasting salvation.  Be pleased to look upon these offerings with a serene and kindly countenance, and to accept them, as once you were pleased to accept the gifts of your servant Abel the just, the sacrifice of Abraham, our father in the faith, and the offering of your high priest Melchizedek, a holy sacrifice, a spotless victim. (Emphasis in red is mine).

Definition of victim on – thefreedictionary.com: “A living creature slain and offered as a sacrifice during a religious rite.” 

And from my research back in 1980 I discovered that the word ‘host’ actually means “sacrificial victim.”

Capture Definition of host - sacrificial victimSOURCE

But God’s Word says Jesus was never a ‘victim’; He gave His life willingly and only once:

“I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd is willing to die for the sheep.  I am the good shepherd.  As the Father knows me and I know the Father, in the same way I know my sheep and they know me.  And I am willing to die for them.” (John 10:11,14,15)

“The Father loves me because I am willing to give up my life, in order that I may receive it back again.  No one takes my life away from me.  I give it up of my own free will.” (John 10:17,18)

“In order to set us free from this present evil age, Christ gave Himself for our sins, in obedience to the will of our God and Father.” (Galatians 1:4)

“For the blood of bulls and goats can never take sins away.  For this reason, when Christ was about to come into the world, he said to God: “You do not want sacrifices and offerings, but you have prepared a body for me.  You are not pleased with animals burned whole on the altar, or with sacrifices to take away sins.  Then I said,  ‘Here I am, God, to do what you want me to do, just as it is written of me in the book of the Law.” (Hebrews 10:5-7)

“He is not like other high priests; he does not need to offer sacrifices every day, for his own sins first, and then for the sins of the people.  He offered one sacrifice, once and for all, when he offered himself.” (Hebrews 7:27)

“But Christ did not go in to offer himself many times; for then he would have had to suffer many times ever since the creation of the world.  Instead he has now appeared once for all, when all ages of time are nearing the end, to remove sin for the sacrifice of himself.  Everyone must die once, and after that be judged by God.  In the same manner, Christ also was offered in sacrifice once to take away the sins of many.  He will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are waiting for him.”           (Hebrews 9:25-28)

“Because Jesus Christ did what God wanted him to do, we are all made clean from sin by the offering that he made of his own body, once and for all.” (Hebrews 10:10)

“For Christ himself died for you; once and for all he died for sins, a good man for bad men, in order to lead you to God.”  (1 Peter 3:18)  [NOTE:“A good man for bad men?”  The Sacred Heart League translation is SO lacking in its ability to present the sinless nature of Christ by the words in that verse, but praise God that He still used many verses in that translation to reveal the true gospel to me and set me free!]  Here’s how that same verse reads in the NIV translation: 

“For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to God.”

Even though the Catholic church does teach that Jesus indeed is God, for me to see how God clearly revealed to me through His Word who Jesus really is and what His death actually accomplished was an amazing eye-opening  ‘experience’ moment for me!  (Ugh!  I do not like using the word ‘experience’ any more because of the fact that the focus in many churches today is on having an ‘experience’ with God instead of getting to know God through reading His Word, the Bible).  After my eyes were opened concerning the ‘Sacrifice of the Mass’ and that the sacrifice that Jesus had made upon the cross was sufficient to pay the debt for our sins in full, I knew I couldn’t go back to the Catholic church.  But because I was filled with such joy after discovering this truth, as well as an overwhelming concern for Catholics, I wanted to somehow find a way to share what I had found with Catholics on a grand scale so that they too would come to see the truth that can be found in God’s Word and be filled with joy when they realized that Jesus indeed paid the debt of our sins in full, and that if they would just repent of their sins and place their trust in Christ alone, they could have the assurance of going to heaven when they died and not to ‘purgatory;’ a place that Catholicism teaches where one goes after death “…to undergo purification so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.”  (‘Catechism of the Catholic Church’ Para 1030)

So, with that strong desire in my heart to reach Catholics, I gathered a large amount of tracts entitled, ‘How A Roman Catholic Can Be Sure Of Heaven,’ and for one last time I went back to the Catholic church I had attended for many years at a time when I knew many people would be in church for Mass.  I quickly ran around the parking lot praying for the people and placing a tract under the windshield wipers of each car in the parking lot.  And just as I was finishing, the people started coming out to their cars to find the tract  with the life giving ‘good news’ of the gospel that they sadly had never heard before.  I left there trusting that ‘God’s Word would not return void but would accomplish what He sent it to do’  (Isaiah 55) in the hearts and minds of those who would read it.

I now found myself determined to dig even deeper in order to find the truth concerning all that the Catholic church actually teaches.  So with a Catholic Douay Version Bible, as well as the little Catholic New Testament Bible that I amazingly received from my ‘husband,’ along with information about Vatican ll and the Council of Trent, I sat down and earnestly prayed for God to show me the whole truth as I began reading through all the information.

As I opened the first few pages of the Catholic Douay Version of the Bible, these are some of the first things I found:

INDULGENCES

“Pope Leo Pope Leo XIII granted to the faithful who shall read for at least a quarter of an hour the Books of the Sacred Scripture with the veneration due to the Divine Word and as spiritual reading, an indulgence of 300 days.”  

Preces et Pia Opera, 645

For those of you who are not aware of what an ‘indulgence’ is, here’s how the Catechism of the Catholic Church defines it:

INDULGENCES

What is an indulgence?

“An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church, which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints” 

“An indulgence is partial or plenary according as it removes either part or all of the temporal punishment due to sin.” 

“The faithful can gain indulgences for themselves or apply them to the dead.”

Catechism of the Catholic Church Para 1471

In other words, an ‘indulgence’ allows you to earn time off from the time you may have to spend in the purifying fires of ‘purgatory,’ though no one has any way of knowing how long one may have to stay there.

Are you now beginning to see how the teachings of the Catholic church take away from the sufficiency of Christ’s atoning work on the cross and His death and resurrection? 

I will continue:

On Page 7 of the Catholic Douay Version of the Holy Bible, under ‘The Movable Feasts,‘ I found in part, these words written under the following sections:

‘THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST’

“The church, inspired by the Holy Ghost, has established a special feast in honor of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord.  This saving blood was first shed at the circumcision of the divine Infant; it was next poured out in the bloody sweat of agony in the Garden of Olives; again it flowed under the cruel blows of the savage soldiery; then when the crown of thorns was pressed into His temples; and finally when “one of the soldiers with a spear opened His side and there came out blood and water.”  St. Augustine, explaining these words of St. John, points out that the Evangelist does not use the words struck or wounded but says distinctly,  “one of the soldiers with a spear opened His side,”  that we may understand thereby that the gate of life was opened, and from that sacred side issued all those sacraments of the Church without which we can never hope to gain eternal life.  This precious blood was symbolized by the victim of the Old Law; but while these latter sacrifices served only to purify the outer man, the blood of Jesus Christ, by virtue of its infinite efficacy, washes us free from all sin, provided we avail ourselves of the means established by our divine Saviour in His Church for the application of its infinite merits. (Emphasis in red is mine).

REFLECTION

“Let us ever be attentive at Mass, where this adorable blood mystically pours forth again upon the altar to plead our cause before the throne of divine justice.”

In the front of the Bible I found a section entitled in part:

ENCYCLICAL LETTER

OF OUR HOLY FATHER BY DIVINE PROVIDENCE

POPE LEO XIII

ON THE STUDY OF HOLY SCRIPTURE

And on Page ix this is some of what I found which speaks for itself:

“This supernatural revelation, according to the belief of the universal Church, is contained both in unwritten Tradition, and in written Books, which are therefore called sacred and canonical because, “being written under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, they have God for their author, and as such have been delivered to the Church.”

And on Page xvii I read the following:

“Wherefore it must be recognised that the sacred writings are wrapt in a certain religious obscurity, and that no one can enter into their interior without a guide; God so disposing, as the Holy Fathers commonly teach, in order that men may investigate them with greater ardour and earnestness, and that what is attained with difficulty may sink more deeply into the mind and heart; and, most of all that they may understand that God has delivered the Holy Scriptures to the Church, and that in reading and making use of His Word, they must follow the Church as their guide and their teacher.  St. Irenaeus long since laid down, that where the charismata of God were, there the truth was to be learnt, and that Holy Scripture was safely interpreted by those who had the Apostolic succession.  His teaching, and that of other Holy Fathers, is taken up by the Council of the Vatican, which, in the renewing of the decree of Trent, declares its “mind” to be this–that “in things of faith and morals, belonging to the building up of Christian doctrine, that is to be considered the true sense of Holy Scripture which has been held and is held by our Holy Mother the Church whose place it is to judge of the true sense and interpretation of the Scriptures; and therefore that it is permitted to no one to interpret Holy Scripture against such sense or also against the unanimous agreement  of the Fathers.” (Emphasis in red is mine).

But God’s Word says:

“The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and make you remember all that I have told you.” (John 14:25)

“But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead you into all the  truth.  He will not speak on his own, but he will speak of what he hears and tell you of things to come.” (John 16:13)

“But as for you, Christ has poured out his Spirit on you.  As long as his Spirit remains in you, you do not need anyone to teach you.” (1 John 2:27)

And on Page xix I read the following:

“For although the studies of non-Catholics, used with prudence, may sometimes be of use to the Catholic student, he should, nevertheless, bear well in mind–as the Fathers also teach in numerous passages –that the sense of Holy Scripture can nowhere be found incorrupt outside of the Church, and cannot be expected to be found, in writers who, being without the true faith, only gnaw the bark of the Sacred Scripture and never attain its pith.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph 82 states:

“Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence.”

But God’s Word says the following:

“Jesus answered them,  “How right Isaiah was when he prophesied about you!  You are hypocrites, just as he wrote: ‘These people, says God, honor Me with their words, but their heart is really far away from me.  It is no use for them to worship me because they teach man-made commandments as though they were God’s rules!’  “You put aside the commandment of God and obey the teachings of men.”  “In this way you disregard the word of God with the teachings you pass on to others.” (Mark 7:6-8,13)

“See to it, then, that no one makes a captive of you with the worthless deceit of human wisdom which comes from the teachings handed down by men, and from the ruling spirits of the universe, and not from Christ.”             (Colossians 2:8)

“For you know what was paid to set you free from the worthless manner of life you received from your ancestors.  It was not something that loses its value, such as silver or gold; you were set free by the costly sacrifice of Christ, who was like a lamb without defect or spot.” (1 Peter 1:18,19)

When I was in my teens and attending Mass one day, I remember looking around the church at all the statues.  And when I looked at the statue of Mary the mother of Jesus, this troubling thought suddenly came to my mind:

“Why is it that there are so many statues of Mary holding Jesus as a baby when He is no longer a baby?”

Even though the Roman Catholic church definitely teaches the deity of Christ, they place much more emphasis on Mary than they do on Jesus; Jesus was always being sacrificed during the Mass, always hanging on the cross, and  only presented to us clearly as the Risen Savior on Easter.

CONCERNING MARY, THE MOTHER OF JESUS

In Roman Catholicism, the month of May is always dedicated to Mary.  During this time there is what’s called a ‘May crowning,’ where there is a procession of children walking into church, and a girl would be chosen to place a crown of flowers upon the head of the statue of Mary.  Many songs are sung about Mary and to Mary.

In the video below you will hear the young girl say some of the following:

“We have come to crown this statue of the virgin mother of God.”

“Mary, whose glory we proclaim today, was a humble servant of the Lord when she was on earth.  With Him and under Him she was an instrument in our redemption.  Now, in the glory of heaven she is still the God-bearer to Christ’s brothers and sisters.  She cares about us.  She is the minister of holiness and the queen of love.”  (Emphasis in red is mine).

May Crowning and May Pole Dance

 

Oftentimes when Mary is crowned, the ‘Maypole dance’ is done that day, as well.  The Maypole dance actually has its roots in paganism.  It is a pagan celebration called ‘Beltane’‘Celebrating the Fertility of Spring.’  This is how one site describes — ‘How To Celebrate Beltane with a Maypole Dance’

“The pole was erected on the village green or common, or even a handy field–thrust into the ground either permanently or a temporary basis–and brightly colored ribbons attached to it.  Young people came and danced around the pole, each holding the end of the ribbon.  As they wove in and out, men going one way and women the other, it created a sleeve of sorts — the enveloping womb of the earth — around the pole.  By the time they were done, the Maypole was nearly invisible beneath the sheath of ribbon.”  SOURCE

 

Capture May Pole and Crowning of Mary Pagan Connection

SOURCE

In the ‘quick capture’ above it says the following:

“The earliest May Day celebrations appeared in pre-Christian times, with the festival of Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers, and the Walpurgis Night celebrations of the Germanic countries.  It is also associated with the Gaelic Beltane.  Many pagan celebrations were abandoned or Christianized during the process of conversion in Europe.  A more secular version of May Day continues to be observed in Europe and America.  In this form May Day may be best known for its tradition of dancing the maypole dance and crowning of the Queen of the May.” In the Roman Catholic tradition, May is observed as Mary’s month, and in these circles May Day is usually in celebration of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  In this connection, in works of art, school skits, and so forth, Mary’s head will often be adorned with flowers in a May crowning.”

You may now be asking the same question I asked when I found that page this week.  And that is,  “Who is the Queen of the May?”  The answer to that question may startle you as it did me when I read the following that I also ‘quick captured’ for you below:

“The May Queen or Queen of May…a mythical figure and as a personification of the holiday and of Springtime…” 

“Today the May Queen is a girl who must ride or walk at the front of a parade for May Day celebrations.  She wears a white gown to symbolise purity and usually a tiara or crown.” 

“She is generally crowned by flowers and makes a speech before the dancing begins.” 

“According to popular British folklore,the tradition once had a sinister twist, in that the May Queen was put to death once the festivities were over.”

“…frequent associations between May Day rituals, the occult, and human sacrifice are still to be found in popular culture today.”

Capture Queen of May - May QueenSOURCE

If you watched the video I posted above, entitled, ‘May Crowning and Maypole Dance,’ then you saw how the girl who was chosen as the ‘May Queen’ wore a crown of flowers and made a speech before the dancing began,’ just as it describes above.  And I remember when I was young and our whole school class would celebrate the ‘May Crowning of the Virgin Mary,’ each girl would wear their ‘white communion gown and ‘a tiara or crown’ on their heads, also as described above.  But as disturbing as it is to see how these pagan rituals have been ‘Christianized’ and although I never took part in a Maypole dance and never even remember us ever having one at the Catholic church that I attended as a child, I did take part in many ‘May crownings,’ and find it extremely disturbing to see how Mary is receiving such adoration when Jesus Christ alone is deserving of our adoration!

Mary the mother of Jesus Christ would never want to be revered in this manner!  She was humble, and though she was definitely ‘blessed among women‘ because she was chosen to give birth to Jesus, she was not sinless as Catholicism teaches her to be.  She revealed her humility and admitted her need of a Savior by proclaiming the following:

“My heart praises the Lord; my soul is glad because of God my Savior, because he has remembered me, his lowly servant.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, however, teaches the following:

490 “To become the mother of the Savior, Mary “was  enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role.”  The angel Gabriel at the moment of  the annunciation salutes her  as “full of grace.”  In fact, in order for Mary to be able to give the free assent of her faith to the announcement of her vocation, it was necessary that she be wholly born by God’s grace.”  (Catechism of the Catholic Church Para 490) 

491 “Through the centuries the Church has become even more aware that Mary, “full of grace” through God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception.  That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854:

The most blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by the virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin. 

492 “The “splendor of an entirely unique holiness” by which Mary isenriched from the first instant of her conception” comes wholly from Christ: she is redeemed in a more exalted fashion, by the reason of the merits of her Son.”  The Father blessed Mary more than any other created person “in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” and chose herin Christ before the creation of the world, to be holy and blameless before Him in love.” 

493 “The Fathers of the Eastern tradition call the Mother of God “the All-Holy(Panagia) and celebrate her as “free from any stain of sin, as though fashioned by the Holy Spirit and formed as a new creature.”  By the grace of God Mary remained free of every personal sin her whole life long.” (Emphasis in red ink is mine).

In spite of what the Catholic church may say, Mary, a virgin and highly favored by God, was a sinner as we all are. But she chose to completely trust God and acted in humble obedience when she was told that ‘she would be with child’ and give birth to Jesus. Her response was:

“I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary; “may it happen to me as you have said.” (Luke  1:38)

God’s Word makes it very clear that Jesus was sinless, but goes on to declares that ‘all have sinned.’  And the emphasis throughout Scripture is on Jesus Christ concerning every aspect of our salvation:

“There is no one who is righteous, no one who understands, or who seeks for God.  All men have turned away from God; they have all gone wrong; no one does what is good, not even one.” (Romans 3:11,12)

“But now God’s way of putting men right with himself has been revealed, and it has nothing to do with the law.  The Law and the prophets gave their witness to it: God puts men right through their faith in Jesus Christ.  God does this to all who believe in Christ, because there is no difference at all: all men have sinned and are far away from God’s saving presence.”         (Romans 3:21-23)

He committed no sin; no one ever heard a lie come from his lips.”                      (1 Peter 2:22)

“Our high priest is not one who cannot feel sympathy with our weakness. On the contrary, we have a high priest who was tempted in every that we are, but did not sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)

“So then, as the one sin condemned all men, in the same way the one righteous act sets all men free and gives them life.  And just as many men were made sinners as the result of the disobedience of one man, in the same way many will be put right with God as the result of the obedience of one man.” (Romans 5:18,19)

After discovering there was a connection between the ‘May Crowning of the Virgin Mary‘ and the ‘May Pole dance,’ and how the ‘May Pole dance‘ is the pagan ‘Celebration of Spring,’ I then decided to dig a little deeper by doing a little more research on ‘May Day‘ celebrations and came across the following startling information on Tuesday which I ‘quick captured’ for you below:  ‘A Chapel of Our Mother God.’  This was enough to confirm to me — and I believe will clearly show you, as well — how the ‘Queen of Heaven’ — a title often given to the Mary of Catholicism — is someone other than the Mary of the Bible.  And yet some of the similarities to the Mary of Catholicism are not coincidental.

Capture May Day The Exaltation of the Queen of Heaven 1

Capture May Day The Exaltation of the Queen of Heaven 2

Capture May Day The Exaltation of the Queen of Heaven 3SOURCE (All three ‘quick captures’)

First take a good look at the picture of the ‘Queen of Heaven‘ directly above, because I will be referring back to this picture a little later in this post.  Now note what the writer of the article above has to say in the very last sentence in this same ‘quick capture.’  She clearly sees the  connection between the Mary of Catholicism and how Mary is crowned in the month of May, with their ‘Mother God’ whom they refer to as the ‘Queen of Heaven‘ by saying the following:

“It is no coincidence that having re-acclaimed the Queen of Heaven, the Church should also dedicate May as Mary’s month.”

After reading the above article, my heart became burdened for the writer at this site and all the people who are involved in these types of pagan religions, because if those of us who are true Bible believing Christians were exalting Christ the way we should be doing by sharing who Jesus Christ is and what He accomplished when He died in our place on the cross and rose again with all the people that God allows to cross our path in life, there wouldn’t be so many people lost and wandering and finding their way into paganism and exalting pagan goddesses!

My heart also became even more burdened to reach Catholics because I want them to come to the realization that it’s Jesus who deserves all their praise and honor and only He is worthy to be exalted!  The humble and obedient virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus, but our salvation came through Christ alone from start to finish!

“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross!  Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:8-11)

“It is true that through the sin of one man death began to rule, because of that one man.  But how much greater is the result of what was done by the one man, Jesus Christ!  All who receive God’s abundant grace and the free gift of his righteousness will rule in life through Christ.  So then, as the one sin condemned all men, in the same way the one righteous act sets all men free and gives them life.  And just as many men were made sinners as the result of the disobedience of one man, in the same way many will be put right with God as the result of the obedience of the one man.”                     (Romans 5:17-19)

You may be a Catholic who came across my blog and find yourself reading this right now and  feel very hurt and offended and even angry by what I have shared so far concerning Mary. You may still strongly believe all that you have been taught about Mary and feel I have not presented you with clear evidence to link the pagan ‘Queen of Heaven‘ goddess with the Mary of Catholicism.  But I’d like to draw your attention to the middle of the three ‘quick captures’ above where it says the following:

“After Her resurrection, she returns to the Middle World (where she first came at Her earthly birthtime of Nativity) and takes up Her full royalty as Princess of the World.  This is celebrated on the Day of Our Sovereign Lady (Culverine 5th/March 25th).

Not remembering all the feast days of the Catholic church, I decided to do a ‘search’ to see if there was a feast day devoted to Mary the mother of Jesus on March 25th and this is what I found:

Capture March 25th Marian Feast of the AnnunciationSOURCE

Then I decided to do a ‘search’ on another Marian feast day –August 15th, The Assumption of Mary into heaven.  The Catholic church teaches that Mary did not die but was assumed into heaven, body and soul.  And in a matter of seconds, as you can see from the ‘quick capture’ below, I found this:

“August 15 was originally THE ASSUMPTION OF THE HOLY SOPHIA…”

Capture August 15th The Assumption of Mary Coincides with the Assumption of the Holy SophiaSOURCE

Are you now beginning to realize the seriousness of this information?

Does the Catholic church promote the ‘worship’ of Mary?  Or does it simply teach its people to “honor her” as they say they do?  Lord willing, in Part 3 of my testimony, I will present  information from Catholic sources to answer that question, but I believe what I have to share with you next will answer that question even before I share any further information with you.  First, may I ask you to please read the following Scriptures slowly and think carefully about what God is saying?  Instead of me personally emphasizing certain portions of the Scriptures below, I have prayed and trust that God will speak to you through His Word as you read it and accomplish all that He desires to do within your hearts. (Isaiah 55:6-11)

“LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth.  You have made heaven and earth.” (Isaiah 37:16)

“The LORD said to Moses,  “Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering.  You are to receive the offering for Me from everyone whose heart prompts them to give.  These are the offerings you are to receive from them: gold, silver and bronze; blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; ram skins dyed red and another type of durable leather; acacia wood; olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece.  Then have them make a sanctuary for Me, and I will dwell among them.  Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.  Have them make an ark of acacia wood–two and a half cubits long, and a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.  Overlay it with pure gold, both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it.  Cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other.  Then make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.  Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it.  The poles are to remain in the rings of this ark; they are not to be removed.  Then put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law, which I will give you.  Make an atonement cover of pure gold– two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide.  And make two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover.  Make one cherub at one end and the second cherub on the other.  Make the cherubim of one piece with the cover, at the two ends.  The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them.  The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover.  Place the cover on top of the ark and put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law that I will give you.  There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the covenant law I will meet with you and give you all My commands for the Israelites.” (Exodus 25:1-22)

My jaw literally dropped and I gasped in utter shock when I first saw what you are now about to see.  As the saying goes,  “A picture is worth a thousand words,” and the picture below very clearly reveals  what the Catholic church believes about Mary:

Capture ARK OF MERCY COMMANDMENTS, MANNA, ROD

The unveiling of this ‘iconic monstrance‘ took place on May 31, 2008, and they are still seeking to raise the funds for the sanctuary.  The amount needed for the building for the sanctuary that will house this monstrance is estimated to cost between 15 and 20 million dollars!  (I may add some more comments concerning this ‘iconic monstrance‘ when time allows).

Granted, the angels/cherubim are not “one piece with the cover” as God’s Word commanded the ark of the covenant to be made, but the cherubim are facing each other looking toward the cover.  And the most disturbing and even blasphemous thing of all, is the fact that Mary is seated between the cherubim, exactly where God said He would manifest His presence!  And although the Catholic church tries to explain why they believe ‘Mary is the Ark of the New Covenant,’ you will see through the information in this post and what I will share (Lord willing) with you in Part 3, that they are attempting to elevate Mary further than some of you could ever imagine!

“There above the cover between the cherubim…I will meet with you.”

Below, note in part some of the disturbing things that are said in the ‘quick captures’ that I posted for you below concerning this ‘iconic monstrance.’  Much more could be pointed out, but those of you who are true followers of Christ will have the necessary discernment to see the many unbiblical things that have been said concerning the ‘Our Lady of the Sign-Ark of Mercy.’

“The idea of the iconic monstrance was conceived nine years prior to its unveiling.  At that time a call was heard which resulted in the entrustment and consecration of the parish of Saint Stanislaus Kostka to the Blessed Virgin MaryA discernment led by Fr. Anthony Bus C.R. inspired a parish wide response to establish in the heart of Chicago a Sanctuary to The Divine Mercy.  The doors of the parish were opened and eyes were turned to Mary, Holy Queen and Mother of Mercy…”

“It was accepted that the Blessed Virgin Mary had asked for and created space for sacred silence that the voice of her Son would be heard anew and that He would be adored in the Blessed Sacrament.”

Capture WORDS ARK OF MERCY PART 1

Capture WORDS ARK OF MERCY PART 2

Capture WORDS ARK OF MERCY PART 3

Capture WORDS ARK OF MERCY PART 4 - FINAL BEST VERSIONSOURCE

 

 

 

Sadly, the glorious resurrected Jesus Christ is being replaced with the ‘Eucharistic Christ’ as the one who is to be worshiped when displayed in a monstrance like the one pictured above. Roger Oakland makes that very clear as you can see by watching the video below:

 

 

The teachings of the Catholic church try to make parallels between the Ark of the Covenant and with Mary in order to declare her as the Ark of the New covenant: 

Now note the identical picture of Mary in the video below with the image that I told you to “take a good look at” which is in the third ‘quick capture’ of  ‘A Chapel of Our Mother God,’ ‘May Day: The Exaltation of the Queen of Heaven‘ that I posted for you above.  In the following video here are some of the unbiblical things you will read:

“She intercedes on our behalf as our mother in Heaven.” 

“She has appeared to many throughout two millenia since the Assumption.” 

“Mary pray for us.”

 

But  God’s Word says:

“For there is one God, and there is one who brings God and men together, the man Christ Jesus who gave himself to redeem all men.” (1 Timothy 2:5)

But Jesus lives on forever, and his work as priest does not pass on to someone else.  And so he is able, now and always, to save those who come to God through him because he lives  forever to plead with God for them.”           (Hebrews 7:24,25)

“Jesus, then, is the High Priest that meets our  needs.  He is Holy; he has no fault or sin in him; he has been set apart from sinful men and raised above the heavens.”  (Hebrews 7:26)

“I write you this, my children, so that you will not sin; but if anyone does sin, we have Jesus Christ, the righteous who pleads for us with the Father.  And Christ himself is the means by which our sins are forgiven, and not our sins only, but  also the sins of all men.” (1 John 2:1,2)

Here are some videos concerning the so-called appearances of Mary:

 

 

The Catholic church also claims that the woman in Revelation Chapter 12 is Mary, but watch the following video, and you will see this is not so:

  IS MARY THE WOMAN IN REVELATION 12 AS THE CATHOLIC CHURCH CLAIMS?

A FEW THOUGHTS BEFORE I CLOSE

In this post I have tried to demonstrate to you how, in Catholicism, Mary is being elevated to a position where only Jesus Christ should be, and Jesus Christ — the one and only Son of God who alone lived a sinless life and is King of kings and Lord of lords, and God in the flesh who conquered sin and death — has been reduced to being continually sacrificed again and again, day after day on the altars in Catholic churches around the world, thus denying His death as having been sufficient to atone for our sins.  Lord willing, Part 3 I will go into much greater detail to show you from the Catholic Church’s own teachings what they believe about Mary to make my statement about Mary clear to you.

When I learned much of this back in 1980 I was deeply grieved and felt betrayed because I was taught that ‘the Catholic church was theOne True Church,’  and I realized by what I read in God’s Word that this was not true since much of what I learned did not line up with what God’s Word has to say.  I was filled with anger and hurt that I had been deceived and that the true gospel was never taught to us through their teachings.   Although I learned about God and His love for me, and learned to fear Him as we all should, I never knew what Jesus had actually accomplished for me so that I could rejoice and be filled with appreciation and peace.  Instead I was terrified of death thinking of burning in the fires of ‘purgatory’ and wondering how long I would have to burn in the flames until I suffered enough so that I would finally be purified and then able to enter heaven.  However, after reading and understanding what Jesus had accomplished through His death, burial, and resurrection, I no longer had a fear of death.  And it wasn’t until God showed me another verse in Hebrews one day, that the powerful truth clearly presented in that verse made me realize how I had been released from the grip of fear that had held me in bondage since I was six years old!   Here is what that verse says:

“Since the children, as he calls them, are people of flesh and blood, Jesus himself became like them and shared their human nature.  He did so that through his death he might destroy the Devil who has the power over death, and so set free those who were slaves all their lives because of their of death.”  (Hebrews 2:14,15) [Note: This version capitalized “devil” :/ ]

God gave me complete assurance of my salvation and removed the final traces of fear and doubt one day shortly after I became a Christian by having me read these verses for the first time:

“This, then, is the witness: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  Whoever has the Son has this life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.  I write you this so that you may know that you have eternal life–you that believe in the name of the Son of God.”                                (1 John 5:11-13)

I am no longer bitter or angry; the truth that God revealed to me through His Word has filled me with compassion for Catholics, as well as for all those who have been deceived by false teachings.  And I have a deep love for God’s Word and the gospel that alone has the power to set a person free.  I am saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone.  When I believed the good news of the gospel and repented of my sins, I became a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17); God transformed my mind, healed my broken heart, and has used all I have been through to become a Berean (Acts 17:11) ;ever since He opened my eyes to the truth in His Word so that I could see the glorious news of who Jesus really is and what He accomplished, I have continually tested all I hear (and read and see) in light of Scripture so that I will never be deceived again!

 

RELATED SCRIPTURES

“I have complete confidence in the gospel; it is God’s power to save all who believe, first  the Jews and also the Gentiles.” (Romans 1:16)

“All Scripture is God-breathed , and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16)

“Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage–with great patience and careful instruction.  For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.  Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” (2 Timothy 4:16,17)

“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever.  Amen.  I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel– which is really no gospel at all.  Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.  But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!  As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what we accepted, let him be eternally condemned!” (Galatians 1:3-9)

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;  all things were created by Him and for Him.  He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.  And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy.  For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.  Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.  But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation– if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.  This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.”                (Colossians 1:15-23)

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ.  He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.  And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” (Colossians 2:13-15)

“But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived was deceived by the serpents cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.  For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.” (2 Corinthians 11:3,4)

“Thus you nullify the word of God by your traditions that you have handed down.” (Mark 7:13)

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.  For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form…”  (Colossians 2:8,9)

“There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.  “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”         (Romans 3:10)

  “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the law; rather through the law we become conscious of sin.” (Romans 3:20)

“But now a righteous from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.  This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.  There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”              (Romans 3:21-24)

“Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.  For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:18-20)

“I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (Galatians 2:20)

“For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” (1 Peter 3:18)

“Now there were many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood.  Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him because He always lives to intercede for them.  Such a high priest meets our need–one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.  Unlike the other high priests He does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people.  He sacrificed for their sins once for all when He offered Himself.” (Hebrews 7:23-27)

“For I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more.” (Hebrews 8:12)

All verses used in this post were obtained from ‘The Word of God The New Testament Of Our Lord And Savior In Today’s English Version’ — Sacred Heart League Edition

Imprimatur: John Francis Wheaton, S.T.I., S.S.L.

Archbishop of Hartford April 15, 1971

RELATED VIDEOS

MATTERS OF FAITH’ PURGATORY-MASS-INDULGENCES-SALVATION PART 1 AND 2 CECIL ANDREWS OF ‘TAKE HEED MINISTRIES’ — DEBATE BETWEEN ROB ZINS AND CATHOLIC PRIEST, PATRICK MCCAFFERTY THAT TOOK PLACE ON SEPT. 22, 1995

THEOLOGICAL DEBATE WITH A CATHOLIC MONSIGNOR

ROMAN CATHOLICISM SERIES #2 THE ROMAN MASS – RE-SACRIFICE OF CHRIST

ROMAN CATHOLICISM SERIES #3WHAT IS YOUR FINAL AUTHORITY –

THE ROMAN CHURCH OR SCRIPTURE

To view many more videos in this series, go to YouTube and “search” “Larry Wessels Roman Catholicism Series.”

‘DOES ROMAN CATHOLICISM TEACH ANOTHER GOSPEL?  DEBATE BETWEEN LARRY WESSELS AND ROBERT FASTIGGI.’ PART 1 and 2.  A very informative debate, and definitely not boring!

DEBATE BETWEEN THE LATE DAVE HUNT AND ROBERT FASTIGGI

For the most shocking information concerning the Catholic church, (although I personally think the ‘Iconic Monstrance’ is extremely shocking) I will end with these two videos that I just found last year as I was searching for information to add to this post.  The first one features eye-opening pictures taken in the Vatican itself that will leave you stunned and wondering just what is the purpose for the supposed ‘One true Church’ in having such things!  Please pray for discernment and wisdom, and also ask God to reveal the truth to you before you watch.  (UPDATE 4-26-14: Upon finding out that the video I originally posted below was defective, I now replaced it with one that plays completely to the end.   I’m sorry for not realizing it was defective when I originally posted it).

In this last video series , Doc Marquis, a former Luciferian witch who is now a Christian, draws many parallels between the occult practices he was once a part of, and the rituals in the Catholic church.  He shows many detailed pictures, as well as  reads many Scriptures to prove his points.  As he does, he shares the truth lovingly, because his desire is to see many Catholics come to see through the deceptive teachings of the Catholic church so that they will realize that Jesus’ death was sufficient to pay the debt for our sins in full!  That’s also my main reason for sharing my testimony with all of you. 

In this series, Doc Marquis also shares the teachings of Roman Catholicism concerning Mary the mother of Jesus, and compares them with the teachings of the ancient Babylonian religion.  Once you see the parallels it will confirm in greater detail what you discovered if you watched the ‘Messages From Heaven’ video.

 

 

FURTHER INFORMATION FOR YOU

>ROB M. ZINS – 14 SERMONS CONCERNING CATHOLICISM ON ‘SERMON AUDIO.COM‘<

To visit former Catholic, Rob Zins’ website where you can read more information, as well as watch many videos of his well done debates  concerning the teachings of the Catholic church in light of the Word of God, click HERE

To visit former Catholic, Mike Gendron’s website where you will find information on Catholicism and how to lovingly share the gospel with Catholics, click HERE

To visit Cecil Andrews website where you can also find much more information concerning the teachings of the Catholic church and many other topics, click HERE

To visit former Catholic priest, Richard Bennett’s website where you will find numerous articles pertaining to the teachings of the Catholic church comparing them to God’s Word, click HERE

To visit David Cloud’s website where you will not only find information concerning the teachings of the Catholic church in light of Scripture, but also hundreds of articles and DVD’s on many topics, click HERE

 

IN CLOSING

As I shared with you earlier in my ‘INTRODUCTION,’  in Part 3 of my testimony I will (Lord willing) be focusing completely on many doctrines of the Catholic church and will be sharing information with you directly from the ‘Catechism of the Catholic Church’ book that I purchased, as well as some of the teachings of Vatican II and the Council of Trent, and then share what God’s Word has to say from the Catholic New Testament that I was given, and will be praying that many of you will then clearly see the truth that God showed me in His Word.

And for those of you who are Roman Catholic, many of you may then find yourself having to make the same decision that I had to make when God opened my eyes to the truth; you will find yourself torn between choosing to believe much of what you have been taught as a Catholic, or rejecting it and believing what is clearly revealed in Scripture and have to answer the same question that God presented to me on that glorious spring day right before Easter in 1980:

“Are you going to believe the Word of God?  Or the word of man?

I pray you will make the same choice that I did to believe the ‘Word of God,’ because your eternal destiny is at stake; there is no purgatory, therefore there is no second chance after death.  I pray the day will come, O precious Catholic, when you will realize that Jesus paid your debt to sin in full and that there is nothing you can do to earn God’s love and forgiveness!  You simply place your complete trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross as full payment for your sins, make the choice to turn from your sin (repent) out of deep sorrow for your sins to show your decision to accept what Jesus has done for you.  He will then break the hold that sin has upon your life, fill you with His Spirit, and give you the ability to obey Him which you will desire to do simply out of love and appreciation for what He has already done for you.

I also pray the day will come when God will open your eyes so that you can see the truth and you will then be filled with the same joy that flooded my heart when, after believing God’s Word over the teachings of men, I heard the following song for the first time at the Bible believing church that I started to attend after leaving the Catholic church.  Tears of joy flowed from my eyes when I first heard these words:

“My sin, O, the bliss of this glorious thought! 

My sin not in part but the whole,

Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,

Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, O my soul!

 

LORD WILLING COMING SOON

MY TESTIMONY: FROM FEAR AND UNCERTAINTY TO PEACE AND ASSURANCE — HOW GOD REVEALED THE TRUTH TO ME AS I WAS READING A CATHOLIC NEW TESTAMENT BIBLE (PART 3 OF 3) (Already completed).

The beautiful picture I chose for this post is one of many beautiful pictures I found on the  KingJamesBibleonline.org page on Facebook that you can choose for your ‘Timeline.’