Tag Archives: Protestant

Christianity, Current events, doctrine, Theology, Uncategorized

Three Visions, One Faith, One Fall

As we watch the division in the Catholic Church between Norvus Ordo from Vatican 2 and the Traditionalists, between the soft hand against the German bishops to the heavy handedness toward the SSPX, are we seeing the implosion of the 2000 year old stronghold of the Christian faith? What makes this more interesting and notable are three things. A book by Taylor Marshall called Infiltration, which describes ideologies creeping into the Church since the late 1800s and leading to the call of Vatican 2 for changes. The understanding of the Reformers. And three Marian Apparitions that directly speak of the Church in the state it is now in.

This article will discuss two of the three, the Reformers and the Apparitions because they seem to play hand in hand. Included will be the messages of the Blessed Mother, the statements of the Reformers and scriptural basis for those statements. And how they match up in many ways to the Marian messages. Will this cause controversy? Yes. Will it bring a visceral hatred? Probably. But it is a fact based article, and the truths as seen when connected.

The first Apparition occurred in 1846, in La Salette, France. And this one is the most explicit in terms of the Seat of Peter. Only parts of the message were approved by the Church. And true to ow many apparition secrets are not revealed at the time, a few points were left out of the official tell of the apparition message.. In 1879, Melanie Calvat wrote the full message points that the Church either didn’t want released or had chosen not to speak of. While some Popes apparently knew and possibly favored knowledge of these points, Pope Leo XIII had them sealed and forbidden from release.

And once they are seen in the writings of Ms Calvat, one can see why.

  • Rome will lose the faith and become the seat of the Antichrist.
  • In the year 1864, Lucifer together with a large number of demons will be unloosed from Hell; they will put an end to faith, little by little.
  • The Church will be eclipsed and the world will be in consternation.

This can be seen as a warning to repent, as the message from the prophets of old. In 1870, the first Vatican Council set as dogma, Papal Infallibility. This determination set the concept that the Pope cannot make a mistake when speaking on Faith and Morals. The issue that can cause an issue here is that view, that the Pope has authority to set doctrine without question. And we can see that what has happened through the last century in the Church, from changing the 1955 Missal to Vatican 2, that this ‘little by little’ change has created a major issue within the Church.

The Reformers has already stated this scenario as one of their main points.

  • Luther (1537) – The Pope is the very Antichrist, who has exalted himself above, and opposed himself against Christ because he will not permit Christians to be saved without his power.
  • Calvin – The Pope takes upon himself the position of Christ, using the name as a pretext, to be the leader of an impious and abominable kingdom.
  • Westminster Confession (1647)  – Nor can the Pope of Rome in any sense be head thereof, but is that Antichrist, that man of sin and son of perdition.

Scriptural basis for this ideology can be seen in the book of Revelation (Apocalypse).

Revelation 17 – Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters,  with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.”  And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.”  And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I marveled greatly. But the angel said to me, “Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her.  The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come. This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated;  they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while.  As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction.  And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast.  These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast.  They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.” And the angel said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages.  And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.  And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.”

The next apparition was in Fatima (1917). There were three main messages, with the third not being revealed even to this day. While there is a an image that emerges, the explanation of the images remains hidden. The text released by the Vatican describes a vision seen by the children:

  • A bishop dressed in white (understood to be the Pope) makes a difficult pilgrimage through a ruined city filled with corpses.
  • He reaches a large wooden cross on top of a mountain, where he is gunned down by soldiers and arrows.
  • Other bishops, priests, and lay people are also killed, while angels collect their blood and sprinkle it on souls making their way to God.

There has been speculation, deservedly so, that the true interpretation was never released. After the attempted murder of Pope John Paul II, the official version of the secret was this assassination attempt. But it doesn’t connect. The Pope was the only one attacked. Not on a pilgrimage, no dead bodies of martyrs. So this leads to the question, what was the true interpretation that remains hidden? Sister Lucia, one of the original 3 visionaries, never directly stated since she was forbidden by Rome to do so. But as an SSPX article points out, she did hint. “This disorientation is diabolical, it is sad that so many people let themselves be dominated by the diabolical wave sweeping over the world! And they are blinded to the point where they are incapable of seeing error! Their principal fault is that they have abandoned prayer.”

This hints at apostasy within the Church of Rome. We can see small signs of this in Vatican 2, especially in the removal of prayers of the liturgy. Key Prayers Removed or Altered

  • Leonine Prayers: These were a set of prayers—three Hail Marys, the Hail Holy Queen, a prayer to St. Michael the Archangel, and a three-fold invocation to the Sacred Heart—added by Pope Leo XIII to be said after Low Mass for the intention of the Church and the conversion of Russia. These were officially removed in 1964. [1]
  • Psalm 42 (Judica Me): The opening prayers at the foot of the altar, which included Psalm 42, were removed from the introductory rites. [1, 2]
  • Last Gospel (John 1:1-14): The traditional reading of the Prologue of John at the end of Mass was eliminated. [1]
  • Prayers at the Foot of the Altar: Prayers such as the Aufer a nobis and Oramus te (a prayer to St. Michael) said by the priest while ascending the altar were removed. [1]
  • Specific Penitential Prayers: The Misereatur and Indulgentium (absolution prayers) following the Confiteor in the traditional rite were omitted. [1]
  • Private Prayers of the Priest: Many prayers that the priest previously recited privately at the altar, intended only for him, were removed, shortened, or made audible. [1]

Other Liturgical Changes

  • The Trinity Prayer (Offertory): Some older offertory prayers that referenced the sacrificial nature of the Mass were replaced with prayers inspired by Jewish table blessings.
  • The Triple Kyrie: While the Kyrie itself remains, the structure of the Nine-fold Kyrie was often replaced or altered. [1]

While some prayers were removed to simplify the mass and encourage active participation, others were made optional or replaced, resulting in a distinct shift from the 1962 Missal. But, it did not start there. Many prayers were removed from the 1955 Missal by Pope Pious XII that were used during Holy Week.

 Key prayers, blessings, and ritual elements that were altered or removed include:

Palm Sunday

  • Suppressed Blessing Prayers: Out of seven traditional prayers used to bless the palms in the pre-1955 rite, six were abolished, leaving only a single, significantly shortened prayer. [1, 2]
  • Processional Prayers: Prayers that framed the procession as a public witness of the faith were removed, and the historical rite of the priest knocking at the church doors was suppressed. [1]

The Easter Vigil

  • Blessing of the New Fire: Three traditional prayers for the blessing of the new fire were replaced by a single, newly composed prayer.
  • The Triple Candle (Tenebrae / Triple Reed): The ancient Lumen Christi ceremony featuring the triple candle was completely eliminated.
  • The Exsultet Preface: The consecratory preface of the Exsultet was removed and replaced with a newly created prayer.
  • Post-Exsultet Prayers: Liturgical prayers originally offered for the Pope, bishops, the congregation, and the civil government were entirely removed from the end of the Exsultet. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Good Friday

  • Mass of the Presanctified: The ancient, solemn Mass of the Presanctified was replaced with a simplified service.
  • Passion Truncations: Specific verses detailing the preparations for the Last Supper (e.g., in Matthew 26, Mark 14, and Luke 22) were removed from the recitation of the Passion. [1, 2, 3]

General Daily Mass Revisions

  • Prayers at the Foot of the Altar: Although preserved in regular Masses, the Judica me (Psalm 42) and the prayers at the foot of the altar were completely omitted during Palm Sunday and the Easter Vigil. [1]
  • The Last Gospel: The recitation of the Last Gospel (the prologue of St. John) at the conclusion of Mass was eventually made optional in 1964 and removed altogether in the 1969 Novus Ordo. [1, 2, 3]
  • Omission of Vigils and Octaves: Most liturgical vigils and octaves throughout the year were suppressed to simplify the liturgical calendar. [1]

Reformers made statements on this perceived apostasy within the Roman Church.

  • John Calvin – I deny that See to be Apostolical, wherein nought is seen but a shocking apostasy.
  • John Know – The Roman Catholic Mass is as idolatry and an abomination, a total departure from the Church that Christ established.
  • Westminster Confession – There is no other head of the Church but the Lord Jesus Christ. Nor can the Pope of Rome, in any sense, be head thereof; but is that Antichrist, that man of sin, and of perdition, that exalteth himself, in the Church, against Christ and all that is called God.

Scriptural basis for this view:

2 Timothy 4:1-4 “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:  preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.  For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,  and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.  As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

The final Apparition in the trio is from Akita, Japan in 1973 and 1981. There were three messages (always seem to be in threes). The last one is the one that falls into this report. Like the other apparitions, there is a call to repentance and use of the Rosary. But it seems that the third message is always a vision of the future of the Church. The third message of this apparition can be seen fully in the Church of Rome as it plays out on the front page of newsprint and in news videos.

  • The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against bishops. The priests who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by their confreres… the Church will be full of those who accept compromises…”

This statement needs no explanation as we see this very thing playing out in the actions of acceptance to dismantling of tradition by men like Bishop Martin in North Carolina and the German Council of Bishops. While banning men like Archbishop Vigano and Bishop Strickland for upholding 2 millennia of the faith.

The Geneva Bible commentary heavily targets the “cardinals, patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops” as agents who abandon Christ to defend a corrupt earthly system. The Akita prophecy describes a system so thoroughly hollowed out by “compromise” and demonic infiltration that the institutional framework completely fractures. To a historicist Protestant, this mirrors the chaotic, spiritually destitute state of the Harlot church described in Revelation 17 and 18.

Scriptural basis:

Revelation 17 can be seen above.

Revelation 18:

After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory.  And he called out with a mighty voice,      
 “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!
 She has become a dwelling place for demons,
 a haunt for every unclean spirit,
 a haunt for every unclean bird,
 a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.
   For all nations have drunk
 the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality,
 and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her,
 and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.”
   Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,      
 “Come out of her, my people,
 lest you take part in her sins,
 lest you share in her plagues;
   for her sins are heaped high as heaven,
 and God has remembered her iniquities.
   Pay her back as she herself has paid back others,
 and repay her double for her deeds;
 mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed.
   As she glorified herself and lived in luxury,
 so give her a like measure of torment and mourning,
 since in her heart she says,
 I sit as a queen,
 I am no widow,
 and mourning I shall never see.’
   For this reason her plagues will come in a single day,
 death and mourning and famine,
 and she will be burned up with fire;
 for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.”
   And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning.  They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say,      
 “Alas! Alas! You great city,
 you mighty city, Babylon!
 For in a single hour your judgment has come.”
   And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore,  cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble,  cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls.
   “The fruit for which your soul longed
 has gone from you,
 and all your delicacies and your splendors
 are lost to you,
 never to be found again!”
   The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud,
   “Alas, alas, for the great city
 that was clothed in fine linen,
 in purple and scarlet,
 adorned with gold,
 with jewels, and with pearls!
   For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste.”
 And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off       and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning,      
 “What city was like the great city?”
   And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out,      
 “Alas, alas, for the great city
 where all who had ships at sea
 grew rich by her wealth!
 For in a single hour she has been laid waste.
   Rejoice over her, O heaven,
 and you saints and apostles and prophets,
 for God has given judgment for you against her!”
   Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying,      
 “So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence,
 and will be found no more;
   and the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters,
 will be heard in you no more,
 and a craftsman of any craft
 will be found in you no more,
 and the sound of the mill
 will be heard in you no more,
   and the light of a lamp
 will shine in you no more,
 and the voice of bridegroom and bride
 will be heard in you no more,
 for your merchants were the great ones of the earth,
 and all nations were deceived by your sorcery.
   And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints,
 and of all who have been slain on earth.”

While one can try to validate change made over the years by the Church, what cannot be denied, are we are seeing out the actions prophesied by the Blessed Mother in three locations in the span of 117 years. In three countries and two continents. The first coming before Vatican 1. The second coming before Vatican 2. And the last coming before the writing of the new Catechism of the Catholic Church. Take from this article what you will.

Standard
Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology

From the Darkness

I needed some time to contemplate my life and faith. I was raised with protestant parents, saved in a protestant church but became Roman Catholic in the last year of the 20th century. Since then, there have been times when I have stepped from the church to get air so to speak. But this was different.

Catholics, and maybe protestants as well, have a period known as the dark night of the soul. My definition and tradition, this is where one thinks God has stepped from your life and you seek Him in earnestness. The fall of 2021 was mine.

I had gotten back into my faith fully in the last couple of years after issues that affected me and ended the family unit I had known for 20 years. At that time, the stress had caused my health to falter and my spirit to cry out. For the first time since being a Catholic, I hit my knees, wept, and prayed. It led me into my Catholic Christian faith unlike before.

But for some reason, this fall had played havoc within my mind and spirit and I needed to refresh, think, and clear the cobwebs. So, while not leaving my faith, I stepped away from the building that had become my church home. I had only planned on it being about a month. What it led to was something I had not really expected.

What it led me to, instead of free wheeling life and secular enjoyment, was deeper. It led me to deeper scriptural study. Instead of just one translation, I started using multiple including translations like the King James, New American, and New International. But it also included the Stone edition Tanach and the Douay-Rheims. In the mix of these, I started finding new influence and messages that hit my spirit and mind. It called me to self examination. This then led to a deeper prayer life. And to deeper study.

For all of this time, I had attended a Methodist church with a couple of my children and found that, like the Catholic faith, believed not in only a bread and juice remembrance of the last supper of Christ and His apostles, but in the beautiful truth of the words of Christ himself when He spoke “This is My body…and this is My blood”.

This self imposed sabbatical and longing search went beyond the month I had expected and lasted until the 3rd week of Dec this year. A former priest had passed and I went to his viewing, out of the respect that I had for him. As I stepped into the first parish I ever attended, and my Catholic home for most of my time in the faith, the noise and chaos faded away. There is that sanctuary, among the scent of the decades of incense and visuals of the life of Christ and the saints, that small still voice came. Not like a voice or whisper, but something more distant yet comforting. Only 2 words, “you’re home”.

This, the 4th Sunday of Advent, I returned to the little parish I had stepped out of months ago. As I sat there, taking in the visuals of Advent and the liturgical music and homily, I found myself with an inner peace that I had not had in awhile. Like someone who had left home and traveled the world, only to return to the place he was raised, I had indeed come home. That type of peace can only truly be found in a home.

During my 50 plus years I have been protestant and Catholic, Christian and pagan. During my walks outside of the faith of Christ, the pagan pantheons never answered, spoke, or given me any divine inspiration. And of my 25 years as a Christian, first as a protestant Christian and now as Roman Catholic Christian, this is the first encounter with that small still voice.

While the pagan pantheons are once again raising their heads, and yes infighting between Christians and the Pope himself having and promoting heretical ideas, have I seen for myself that one light and hope in this world of darkness. An old country tradition is to leave a candle lit in a window to guide home those that wander off from the homestead. Mine was the only light brighter than a million suns. When others have dimmed and gone out, this light will shine for an eternity.

The revelation of the Apocalypse witness and recorded by St. John on Patmos said that the Light of God will be so bright in Heaven and the new Jerusalem that there will be no need of a physical sun. That is the light that leads me, that calls me, and the comforts me.

What I thought was to be only a few weeks brought me back at a perfect time for a new beginning. What a better place and time to start a new and refreshed path than at a little cave hewn out as a place of birth for beginning of our Salvation. To behold the One that created the whole of everything and yet started His human life the way we all do.

May God the Father always guide you, bring you unto Himself through Christ the Lord, endow you with the Holy Spirit in wisdom and guidance, and comfort you on your journey through this temporary landscape of life.

Standard
Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology, Uncategorized

I Went Back to the Well

Revelation 2:4 “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love”.

We have all seen followers of Christ that have veered off course, started to follow the money and fame, or even left the faith. Something can happen to cause doubt and wandering in a Christian. Whether its the cares of this world, the money that can be had by fame, or simple a wrong turn. The losing of the first love, the fire and zeal one has for the study and preaching/teaching of Jesus and the only means of salvation, the Cross.

That was where I found myself for about the last year. I didn’t walk away or follow some money scheme.I just lost the fire and zeal of the love of Jesus the Christ. A couple years, I left the Catholic church and set out on what turned out to be a journey. I went from the Catholic church back to my Protestant roots.

I went from Roman Catholic to a local Pentecostal church, the Healing Ministries Church of God of Mountain Assembly. I had been there a few times, saw my oldest son saved and baptized there. But felt it wasn’t for me.

And I ended up being a partial Calvinist. I say partial because I could get behind all of the points of TULIP (Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, Preserving Grace). The petal of this flower I had issue with was the Calvinist view of election. I could merge this with the concept of freewill and the words “Whosoever” from verses like John 3:16 and Acts 10:43. So I knew I could no longer be a Calvinist.

Now I was at at point that I tried the Healing Ministries church again. This time it was an older pastor who had been pastor at the church before. He is an old-timey preacher. Everything in his messages leads one back to the cross. I knew people that went there and figured I need a church, so why not. Pastor Wright became a mentor to me. I suppose you could say more of a grandfather to me, although we are only 30 years apart.

But even that, after awhile, I felt like I needed to be there. So I left the board and church and found myself back in the Roman Catholic Church. I think it was more because I knew the mechanics of the faith. By mechanics, I mean the set prayers (Rosary, Magnificat), the procedure of the service (the ups, downs, kneels, etc), and the celebrations (required Holy days, the Eucharist). But after a time, I found myself being pulled to the Eastern Churches (Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox). Having already determined that the Pope is the Bishop of Rome and not the prime ruler over Christendom, I became an Orthodox Catechumen in the Antiochian Church.

It still had the mechanics (although a slightly different style) and the belief were almost the same as the Roman Church. So I traded the Rosary for the Jesus Prayer, which I still recommend people to pray from time to time because it is the prayer that gives all 4 main points of a prayer and is scriptural. “Lord Jesus Christ (name and position on the faith), Son of God (who He is), Have mercy on me (what we seek), A sinner (what we are)”. But in time, I found myself praying for something more than mechanics.

I found myself prayer for the zeal and the fire I had when I gave myself to Jesus in 1996. During my prayer regime (the Orthodox call it a prayer rule), the point of prayers when the Jesus prayer is said, it is 10 prayers followed by a personal prayer. This is done 5 times for a total of 50 Jesus prayers and 5 personal prayers said in a prostate position. For those who don’t know, the prostate position is face to the ground, forehead touching the floor. A position of submission to God’s sovereignty. During the personal prayers I cried out to God to fix in me what was broken so I could have that fire for Christ and the Cross that I had decades before. It consumed me, this longing for the walk I once had. And while there were times over the decades that it would flicker, it never became full flame again.

This last week, before Sunday last, I was told that Pastor Wright was having health issues, so I decided to o to Healing Ministries so that I could check on him after service. Something in me started to make itself known, so to speak, during the sermon. Not much because of the message, although Pastor Wright always had a way preaching that makes one think the message is for them (that’s the prodding of the Holy Spirit).

Those under the umbrella of Pentecostal faith believe in healing. I also do because I have seen it in my own family. At the end of the service I walked down to see how Pastor Wright was doing. I didn’t even get to ask. I got to the point where I said how great the message was and how I felt like I belonged there (at least for that day) and that’s when things took a different turn. The floodgates opened and I found myself unable to talk.

Pastor Wright laid his hand on my shoulder and started praying. I felt a heat inside that I hadn’t felt in almost three decades. By the time he was done, a small group (including a dear friend) were at my side praying jointly with Pastor Wright. I went to check on his health and the Holy Spirit used him to heal my struggling soul.

The stories of well’s in scripture are a metaphor and symbol of the life giving water that is Jesus. “Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)   Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?  Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:6-14).

I found on that Sunday that sometimes, the best place for a Christian to go is back to the well. For us country folk, going back to the well means going back to the beginning. For me, this meant going back to my Protestant roots to a place and person that are so dear to me. While the fire is still starting to reignite, its no longer smoldering in ash. I had forgotten the Cross and replaced it with church mechanics. I had to be shown the thing that matters in this life. The Cross of Christ, the cleansing blood, and the empty tomb. The Cross and the cleansing blood washes away the sin and the empty tomb is the sign of hope of redemption in Christ. Something I needed reminded of.

People today expect concert style entertainment and a soft message in church. And God may use those (He is Sovereign and does as He wills). But never putdown a grandfatherly Cross/Sin/Hellfire/Need of redemption preacher in a backwoods little throwback church. Because I found that the well in those old country walls has the most refreshing Living Water of Christ one can ever drink.

Standard
Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology, Uncategorized

Immaculate Conception of Mary, is it logically and theoretically possible? My answer is yes. And the truth. 

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said “Hail, full of grace. The Lord is with you”.      (Luke 1:26-28)

There has been the debate about Mary’s status, particularly on two points. The conception and her perpetual virginity. Today, we will look at the first point. It is the theology of the Holy Catholic Church, that Mary was conceived without the stain of original sin. The original sin spoken of in this regard is the consequence of the sin of Adam in Eden. ‘Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:’ (Romans 5:12) For the understanding of this article, it means the desire or propensity to sin.

All people are born with a propensity to sin, once they reach the understanding what right and wrong are. One first has to know what is a sin. In simple terms, sin is any action, word, or thought that goes against the will and commands of God. Sin we are born into a fallen world, we have that propensity to do what is right to us. So looking at what sin is, comes the discussion on whether Mary could have been conceived without that original stain.

We will look at scripture and definition to determine, not if she was but if it is theoretically possible. To definitively say if she was (which is the way my belief leans) starts the discussion off with a loss of ability to make a true presentation. The purpose of this article is to make the reader at least come to the conclusion that it is a possibility. Non-Catholics, in general, say a definitive no. Catholics speak with a definitive yes. Both disallow for a truly open discussion.

Scripture says that all have sinned. ‘For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;’ (Romans 3:23) So, to make clear, this statement is not in dispute. So then the question. If all have sinned, how can she be conceived without sin? And the understanding by most Christians that only Jesus himself was conceived and born without sin.That understanding is bionically wrong. Scripture shows three were born without sin. Jesus, God in flesh definitely was since He is God. So who are the other two?

Adam and Eve of course. But you may say, they were created from the dirt and you would be right. But look at the wording about them and then look in anther book of scripture.’And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul’. (Genesis 2:7) ‘And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;   And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man’. (Genesis 2:21-22) In these two passages, we see that man is created and given life through the breath of God. This is echoed in David ‘I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well’. (Psalm 139:14) These passages show conception as being made and the breathe of life would be birth. So keep that in mind. Adam and Eve were made (conceived) prior to having the breath of life (birth).

They were made (conceived) sinless. Sin didn’t enter into their being until the whole fruit incident. ‘Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?   And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:   But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.   And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:   For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.   And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.   And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.   And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.   And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?   And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.   And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?   And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.   And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat’. (Genesis 3:1-13)

Now that scripture has shown that Adam and Eve began with no sin, it sets one perimeter of discussion. The knowledge that Jesus was not the only one in the history of man to be born in a sinless state. While Adam and Eve were sinless at the beginning, they still weren’t perfect. Only Jesus was perfect, the whole being God part. The other perimeter for this discussion is God being sovereign. The first understanding of this is the fact He created everything that came into existence. (Genesis) The second understanding of His sovereignty is that He is in charge. ‘Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases’. (Psalm 115:3) 

Now, we will look at the greeting by Gabriel. Full of grace. Full, by definition (it has two as an adjective in how it is used in the passage). 1) containing or holding as much as possible; having no empty space. 2) not lacking or omitting anything; complete. Grace, the Greek word used in the original form is ‘charis’. The definition of charis is: divine favor and the gift of salvation. So by definition, Full of Grace means Mary had been given as much divine favor and salvation as she needed. Sinless. That does not mean she no longer has the ability to sin. It means she did not have the desire or will to sin.

So at this point, I can hear the statement, ‘that does not mean she was conceived without sin’. But it also does not prove she wasn’t. Scripture shows us to normal human beings that were born without (created) without sin, since sin was not present at their creation. That combined with the fact, the angel Gabriel said she was Full of Grace, shows that she had all the grace she needed. And the final fact of God’s sovereignty to do as He wills. Unless one knows the mind of God, which one doesn’t. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts’. (Isaiah 55:8-9) Is anyone in the real position to say she was not conceived and born without original sin? Are you willing to place your understanding against the Sovereign God doing what He wants? So historically, logically and theoretically it is possible. I’ll ask when I get there.

Standard
Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology

Las otras ovejas del pastor

Estoy seguro de que este artículo crujirá la pluma de la mayoría de las denominaciones de la cristiandad. Que así sea, pero hay que decirlo. Y escuchen bien. Ninguna denominación tiene la totalidad de la fe. Incluso la Iglesia Católica, que tiene la mayor parte, carece de algunas cosas que se muestran como partes de la fe en las Escrituras. Y si los cristianos han de ser tomados en serio, debemos recordar que debemos dejar de pelearnos entre nosotros.

Para mostrar este punto, vi un documental sobre Jerusalén hace décadas. Una parte del mismo se me quedó grabada y muestra las fracturas dentro de la comunidad cristiana. Las iglesias de varias partes de Tierra Santa están vigiladas por católicos y ortodoxos (en general). En la iglesia del Santo Sepulcro, el patriarca ortodoxo y el obispo católico se enzarzaron en una acalorada discusión. En un momento dado, el Patriarca gritó “al diablo con tu dios”. Lo cual me pareció, incluso entonces, indignante. La mayoría de los cristianos (dependiendo de las enseñanzas y la doctrina de los que se dicen cristianos) adoran al mismo Dios por medio de Cristo en el poder del Espíritu Santo. Por lo tanto, voy a tratar de arrojar algo de luz en mi introducción.

Si usted leyó mi último artículo, me identifiqué como evangélico católico. Y pasé a explicar por qué. Así que para entender este artículo, y la razón de lo que hay en él desde mi perspectiva, hay que ir a leer ese. Así que, enciendan sus antorchas, tomen sus horcas y piedras. Porque este artículo sólo hará una de dos cosas. O te hará gritar por mi lapidación o te hará querer investigar la plenitud de la fe cristiana.

Aquí hay una pequeña historia para aquellos que dicen que las iglesias católica romana y ortodoxa están equivocadas por las tradiciones. Muchas denominaciones protestantes todavía leen los Padres Apostólicos y los padres de la Iglesia que escribieron antes del evento de Lutero. Y si los leen, defenderán las enseñanzas de la Iglesia Católica. Dicho esto, soy católico por las enseñanzas de las Escrituras sobre la Verdadera Presencia de Jesús en la Eucaristía. Cuerpo, Sangre, Alma y Divinidad. Y debe ser tomado como tal, porque nuestro Salvador Jesús el Cristo lo dijo. En Juan 6:53-59 Jesús dijo estas palabras (y para la gente de la Escritura solamente, aquí está) “Entonces Jesús les dijo: De cierto, de cierto os digo, que si no coméis la carne del Hijo del Hombre, y no bebéis su sangre, no tenéis vida en vosotros. El que come mi carne y bebe mi sangre, tiene vida eterna; y yo lo resucitaré en el último día. Porque mi carne es verdadera comida, y mi sangre es verdadera bebida. El que come mi carne y bebe mi sangre, habita en mí, y yo en él. Como el Padre viviente me ha enviado, y yo vivo por el Padre, así el que me come, vivirá por mí. Este es el pan que ha bajado del cielo; no como vuestros padres que comieron el maná, y están muertos; el que coma de este pan vivirá para siempre.Estas cosas decía en la sinagoga, mientras enseñaba en Cafarnaúm.”

He escrito sobre otros aspectos de la fe en la Iglesia Católica Romana, y seguiré haciéndolo. Pero para mí, la Eucaristía es el punto principal de esta parte de mi fe. Sentarse de verdad a la comida del Señor, como Él pretendía. Hay un par de otras denominaciones que creen de la misma manera, tal vez no de la misma manera litúrgica, pero la presencia real.

Pero otras denominaciones tienen áreas de fe como se prescribe en los Evangelios que los católicos no tienen. Los ortodoxos dirigen sus iglesias como lo hicieron los Apóstoles. Un Obispo (Patriarca) sobre cada grupo. Todos ellos creen en la ortodoxia pero tienen una cabeza de cada iglesia (Antioquía, Damasco, Rusia, Grecia, Ucrania, etc). La Santa Sede (Papa) es el Obispo de Roma. Pero también tiene una posición más alta como líder de la fe dada a sus predecesores todo el camino de vuelta a Simón Pedro. Él era el Apóstol principal. Desde que los Apóstoles transmitieron su autoridad, por así decirlo, a los que vinieron después, como hacen todos los pastores cuando se retiran o pasan a mejor vida (Lester Sumerall a Rod Parsley, Billy Graham a Franklin Graham, etc). Este derecho de sucesión en realidad se remonta a los antiguos israelitas cuando la autoridad del Templo y de las Sinagogas pasaba a una persona para dirigir al pueblo en la fe.

Ahora, vienen los grupos que tienen su nacimiento fuera de la reforma. Hay algunas denominaciones que tienen muy pocos cambios desde Roma. Los grupos que mencionaré tienen partes específicas de la creencia apostólica que los católicos romanos parecen no tener. Y aquí, no debatiré ni discutiré las áreas con las que encuentro problemas bíblicos, sino que señalaré las partes de su creencia con las que estoy de acuerdo.

Para los evangélicos esto es fácil. He visto el poder de la imposición de manos y las oraciones por los enfermos, echando fuera demonios, y creo en la capacidad de edificación a través de las lenguas angélicas (aunque la mayoría no sigue las reglas establecidas para su presencia). Los evangélicos tienen la parte maravillosa de la fe comúnmente conocida como seguimiento de los suspiros. Estos son bíblicos. (Juan 16:14-20) “Después se apareció a los once mismos, mientras estaban sentados a la mesa; y les reprochó su incredulidad y dureza de corazón, porque no habían creído a los que le habían visto después de resucitar. Y les dijo: “Id por todo el mundo y predicad el Evangelio a toda la creación. El que haya creído y se haya bautizado se salvará; pero el que no haya creído se condenará. Estas señales acompañarán a los que hayan creído: en mi nombre expulsarán demonios, hablarán nuevas lenguas; cogerán serpientes, y si beben algún veneno mortal, no les hará daño; impondrán las manos a los enfermos, y sanarán.” Entonces, cuando el Señor Jesús les hubo hablado, fue recibido en el cielo y se sentó a la derecha de Dios. Y ellos salieron a predicar por todas partes, mientras el Señor colaboraba con ellos, y confirmaba la palabra con las señales que se producían.”

Los Adventistas del Séptimo Día (SDA de los cuales fui antes de ser confirmado en la Iglesia Católica) entienden la necesidad de que los cristianos también crean en las raíces judías de la fe cristiana. Siguen las leyes dietéticas, celebran el Shabat, etc. Juan también habló de estas cosas en la Isla de Patmos. (Apocalipsis 14:12) “Aquí está la paciencia de los santos; aquí están los que guardan los mandamientos de Dios y la fe de Jesús”.

La razón por la que traigo a colación esta parte de la doctrina ASD es porque la mayoría de los cristianos olvidan que Jesús y los Apóstoles eran judíos. Ellos siguieron la tradición, la fe, y cuando Jesús habló, enseñó y predicó, fue a través de la fundación de la fe de los Patriarcas (Abraham, Isaac y Jacob). No condenó su fe como judío. Pidió cuentas a los que enseñaban y gobernaban a través de la letra de la ley y olvidaban el espíritu de la ley. Hay que recordar, que Él celebraba las fiestas (la mayoría de sus momentos más pronunciados en los Evangelios fue alrededor de la época de una fiesta).

Esta también es una razón por la que empecé a estudiar la fe judía de mi Salvador. Porque Él y sus seguidores eran judíos. Y si realmente se estudian los Evangelios y el Apocalipsis a la luz de las Escrituras Judías (el Antiguo Testamento o Tanach) se vería que sólo las leyes del sacrificio se terminaron con Su venida. El ceremonial terminó pero el resto permaneció. Esto es evidente cuando se mira la construcción y colocación de los Mandamientos y leyes. Los Mandamientos estaban en el Arca mientras que las leyes estaban fijadas fuera del Arca. Pero escribiré sobre eso en una fecha posterior.

Cada denominación de la cristiandad olvida 2 declaraciones de Cristo cuando tratan de demostrar que son los únicos cristianos “verdaderos”. Y terminaré este artículo con esas declaraciones.

Juan 10:16 “Y tengo otras ovejas que no son de este redil; también a ellas debo traer, y oirán mi voz; y habrá un solo redil, y un solo pastor.”

Lucas 9:49-50 ” Respondiendo Juan, dijo: “Maestro, hemos visto a uno que echaba los demonios en tu nombre, y se lo prohibimos porque no sigue con nosotros. Pero Jesús le dijo: “No se lo prohibáis, porque el que no está contra nosotros está de nuestra parte”.

Standard
Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology

The Shepard’s Other Sheep

I’m sure that this article will rustle the feather of most denominations in Christendom. So be it, but it needs to be said. And listen close. Not one denomination has the wholeness of the faith. Even the Catholic Church, which has most of it, lacks a few things that are shown as parts of the faith in Scripture. And if Christians are to be taken seriously, we must remember to quit fighting amongst ourselves.

To show this point, I watched a documentary on Jerusalem decades ago. Part of it stuck with me and shows the fractures within the Christian community. The churches in various parts of the Holy Land  are watched over by Catholics and Orthodox (generally). At the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Orthodox Patriarch and the Catholic Bishop got into a heated shouting match. At one point, the Patriarch yelled ‘to hell with your god’. Which I though even then was outrageous. Most Christians (depending on the teachings and doctrine of those saying they are Christians) worship the same God through Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. So, I’m going to try and shed some light on my introduction.

If you read my last article, I identified myself as Evangelically Catholic. And I went on to explain why. So to understand this article, and my reason for what is in it from my perspective, one needs to go read that one. So, let your torches be lit, grab your pitchforks and stones. Because this article will do only one of two things. It will either make you cry out for my stoning or it will make you want to investigate the fullness of the Christian faith.

Here is a small history for those that say the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches are wrong because of traditions. Many Protestant denominations still read the Apostolic Fathers and the Church fathers that wrote prior to the Luther event. And if you read them, they will uphold the teachings of the Catholic Church. That being said, I am Catholic because of the Scriptural teachings of the True Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. And it must be taken as such, because our Savior Jesus the Christ said so. In John 6:53-59 Jesus spoke these words (and for Scripture alone people, here it is) “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.”

I have written on other aspects of faith in the Roman Catholic Church, and will continue to do so. But for me, the Eucharist is the main point of this part of my faith. To truly sit at the Lord’s meal as He intended. There are a couple other denominations that believe the same way, maybe not in the same liturgical manner, but the real presence.

But other denominations have areas of faith as prescribed in the Gospels that Catholics don’t have. The Orthodox run their churches like the Apostles did. A Bishop (Patriarch) over each group. These all believe Orthodoxy but Have a head of each church (Antioch, Damascus, Russia, Greece, Ukraine, etc). The Holy See (Pope) is the Bishop of Rome. But he also holds a higher position as the leader of faith given to his predecessors all the way back to Simon Peter. He was the lead Apostle. Since the Apostles handed down their authority, so to speak on those that came after, like all pastors do when they retire or pass on (Lester Sumerall to Rod Parsley, Billy Graham to Franklin Graham, etc). This right of succession actually goes back to the ancient Israelites when authority of the Temple and Synagogues would be passed to one person to lead the people in faith.

Now, comes the groups that have their birthing out of the reformation. There are a few denominations that have very little changes from Rome. The groups I will mention have specific parts of Apostolic belief that Roman Catholics seem not to. And here, I will not debate nor discuss the areas that I find scriptural issue with but instead point out the parts of their belief that I agree with.

For Evangelicals this is an easy one. I have seen the power of the laying on hands and prayers for the sick, casting out demons, and believe in the ability for edification through angelic tongues (although most don’t follow the rules set forth for their presence). Evangelicals have the wondrous part of faith commonly known as sighs following. These are scriptural. (John 16:14-20) “Afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen. And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.”

The Seventh Day Adventists (SDA of which I was prior to being confirmed into the Catholic Church) understands the need for Christians to also believe in the Jewish roots of the Christian faith. They follow the dietary laws, celebrate Shabbat, etc. John also spoke of these things on the Isle of Patmos. (Revelation 14:12) “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”

The reason I bring up this part of SDA doctrine is because most Christians forget that Jesus and the Apostles were Jewish. They followed tradition, the faith, and when Jesus talked, taught, and preached, it was through the founding of the faith of the Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob). He didn’t condemn his faith as a Jew. He called to account those that taught and ruled through the letter of the law and forgot the spirit of the law. You have to remember, He celebrated the feasts (most of his most pronounced moments in the Gospels was around the time of a feast).

This also a reason I started to study the Jewish faith of my Savior. Because He and his followers were Jewish. And if you truly study the Gospels and Revelation in light of the Jewish Scriptures (the Old Testament or Tanach) you would see that only the laws of sacrifice were ended by His coming. The ceremonial ended but the rest stayed. This is evident when you look at the construction and placement of Commandments and laws. The Commandments were in the Ark while the laws were attached out side of the Ark. But I’ll write about that at a later date.

Every denomination of Christendom forget 2 statements of Christ when they try to prove that they are the only “true” Christians. And I will end this article with those statements.

John 10:16 “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”

Luke 9:49-50 “ Now John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us. But Jesus said to him, “Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side.”

Standard