Be of Good Cheer: June 2009

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Ok, this is going to be intense. It will be a very long read, but it's of the utmost importance. I have a major burden for those trapped in the Roman Catholic Institution. I'm very adamant about it. I don't hate anyone who is a Catholic, I just want all Catholics to come out of that system and to come to the truth of the Lord Jesus. I can't stress that enough - I wouldn't have spent the better part of a day doing this if I hated Catholics. I have a lot to say about it, and I won't pull any punches. That's not my style. I will start off by saying that the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) and the Vatican are NOT related to Christianity. I don't consider them a denomination of Christianity, in fact I see it as quite the opposite. I will limit this entry just to how Catholicism measures up to the Bible. There is much more evil in the ranks of the Vatican and Jesuits to get into, but first it's important to see how God's Word condemns this "church." Allow me to show you.

In this blog entry I will compare the Word of God (using the King James Version translated from the original Greek and Hebrew) to the traditions, beliefs, and rituals of the Roman Catholic Church. If anyone is a Catholic reading this blog, please hear me out. You need to see your "Mother Church" for what it really is. I pray the Lord opens your eyes and gives you the wisdom and understanding to see this. Please pray for that wisdom before you read!

Before I start, I have decided to keep everything in one giant blog entry, to be easily linked to. This is a very long read, so you may want to bookmark it and read from it when you can. It is of the utmost importance that this message gets across!

Hopefully I can organize this in a consice manner so it's easy to read! Here we go...

God's Ten Commandments vs. The Roman Catholic Church's version

I'm going straight to Scripture to start this off. The Lord gave His Ten Commandments to Moses in Exodus 20.

[1] And God spake all these words, saying,
[2] I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
[3] Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
[4] Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
[5] Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
[6] And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
[7] Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
[8] Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
[9] Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
[10] But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
[11] For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
[12] Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
[13] Thou shalt not kill.
[14] Thou shalt not commit adultery.
[15] Thou shalt not steal.
[16] Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
[17] Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

Let me list them plainly:
1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image or bow down or serve them.
3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honour thy father and thy mother.
6. Thou shalt not kill.
7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8. Thou shalt not steal.
9. Thou shalt not bear false witness.
10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, wife, manservant, maidservant, ox nor ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's.

Now let's look at the RCC's version from their own catechism, from the vatican's own site (http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM):

They don't put this in an easy list form of course, so let me paste all of them.

1. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them.
It is written: "You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve."

2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. You have heard that it was said to the men of old, "You shall not swear falsely. . But I say to you, Do not swear at all.

3. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work. The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.4. Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God gives you. He was obedient to them. The Lord Jesus himself recalled the force of this "commandment of God." The Apostle teaches: "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 'Honor your father and mother,' (This is the first commandment with a promise.) 'that it may be well with you and that you may live long on the earth."'
5. You shall not kill.You have heard that it was said to the men of old, "You shall not kill: and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment." But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment.

6. You shall not commit adultery.You have heard that it was said, "You shall not commit adultery." But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

7. You shall not steal.

8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. It was said to the men of old, "You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn."

9. You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor's. Every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

10. You shall not covet ... anything that is your neighbor's.... You shall not desire your neighbor's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant,, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor's. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.^{First, I have to say that I deleted the page breaks that the catechism had in their commandments for the sake of brevity. They paraphrased a commandment, then added other verses to relate to it as you can see. These verses were separated by page breaks.}

Admittedly, I made a mistake with the catechisms commandments, as "Kee" kindly mentioned to me. I read right over their inclusion of graven images. For that, I apologize. I attribute some of my confusion to the fact that the Catholic Church does abbreviate their Commandments often, and I had these abbreviated versions in mind at the time of this writing. There is a catechism link here that shows this dangerous abbreviation. There are also other catholic sources that modify, abbreviate, or ignore the Second Commandment, and I will list some:

beginningCatholic.com
roman-catholic-catechism
cylist.com
catholicbible101 (they explain the shortened version a bit)
catholocism.suite101.com

^{First off, the RCC is}^{paraphrasing and adding other parts of Scripture to their Ten Commandments. God's Word isn't to be paraphrased, that's how dangerous things can happen. The links I have listed are example of how the RCC Commandments have been abbreviated. How many Catholics just go by this abbreviation and don't know the full meaning of what God's Commandments are saying? How many children do a general search to learn about the Commandments and aren't given God's full Word? Why would the RCC abbreviate the Commandments in any instance? Oh yea, because they consistently break God's Second Commandment with graven images and statues everywhere you look! They bow to them and worship them, even though priests won't admit it, and Catholics themselves water that notion down. "We're not worshipping we're admiring or respecting." I've heard that before. It's worship, and God hates it.}
^{Please stop and think. Please. Do you want to be a part of a system that mo God's Law? Don't you think that's a bad idea? If you don't, consider God's very stern warning in Revelation 22, the very end of the Bible:}

[18] For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
[19] And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

From these verses, we are seeing that the RCC is taking away from God's Word! We will see later examples on how they add to it as well.

Biblical Mary vs. the RCC's Virgin Mary

This is another tremendously glaring error the Roman Catholic Church advocates. Was Mary a righteous virgin whom God chose to bear her son, and did she have children with Joseph after that? Or was she always a virgin and does she have god-like status? Well, let's see how she is portrayed in the RCC here.

From the article (all quotes will be in purple, since italics are giving me problems) :

"The Virgin Mary . . . is acknowledged and honored as being truly the Mother of God and of the redeemer.... She is 'clearly the mother of the members of Christ' ... since she has by her charity joined in bringing about the birth of believers in the Church, who are members of its head."⁵⁰⁰ "Mary, Mother of Christ, Mother of the Church."

Can anyone tell me where this is in the Bible? When is Mary's virgin status capitalized? That's right, never. When is she called "Mother of God?" Yep, never. "Mother of the members of Christ?" Never. God consists of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Mary is not in this equation! She was a blessed virgin woman that God chose to birth His Son on earth because He wanted to! Mary did not earn this, she was given a gift!

"Mary's role in the Church is inseparable from her union with Christ and flows directly from it. "This union of the mother with the Son in the work of salvation is made manifest from the time of Christ's virginal conception up to his death";⁵⁰² it is made manifest above all at the hour of his Passion:"

Excuse me? Where in the Bible does it say that Mary is unified with Christ? Union of the mother with the Son in the work of salvation?!?! Where is this in the Bible? Of course the answer to both of these is that none of these claims are in the Word of God. It is completely made up by the RCC. What does God have to say about this?

First off, I'm sorry but I have to be a little blunt here. The entire message of the New Testament is that salvation is through Jesus Christ alone, and that He has redeemed us through His sinless life, death on the cross, and resurrection. The entire Old Testament is a foreshadowing of Christ. Jesus IS the Word. (John 1:1) If you believe the teaches of the RCC about Mary and her role in salvation, you probably haven't read the Bible! Mary isn't mentioned at all! She has absolutely no role in salvation, redemption or intercession. Read all of the Gospels, hear what Jesus says about Himself and how He gives the gift of eternal life. Read how He says nobody can come to the Father but by Him. Where is Mary in that? The concept of the Virgin Mary is an addition from the RCC to God's Word!

Please allow me to show you some verses:

Galatians 1:
[6] I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
[7] Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
[8] But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Paul doesn't say the gospel of Christ and Mary!

2 Timothy 3
[15] And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Hmm, no mention of Mary there...

Please read the first two chapters of the book of Hebrews. It talks of how the Son is God's revelation, and Christ's role in salvation. Nowhere is Mary mentioned!

1 Peter 2
[21] For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
[22] Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
[23] Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
[24] Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
[25] For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

Again, it's all Jesus! Mary does not have a thing to do with salvation.

1 John 1
[1] That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
[2] (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
[3] That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

Seeing the pattern? No mention of a "Virgin Mary" anywhere in the Bible! Look for yourself!

"After her Son's Ascension, Mary "aided the beginnings of the Church by her prayers."⁵⁰⁴ In her association with the apostles and several women, "we also see Mary by her prayers imploring the gift of the Spirit, who had already overshadowed her in the Annunciation."

Can you guess what I'm going to ask next? That's right, where in the Bible does it say that Mary had any involvement with the begginings of the Church? Imploring the gift of the Spirit? Utter blasphemy! Jesus Christ gave the Holy Spirit to us after His ascension! It's in the Gospels and in the first chapter of Acts.

The Annunciation? What is that? Of course I don't know what it is, because I only stick to God's Word and I don't branch out to perverted gospels. I'm not even going to look it up.

"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:"

Immaculate Virgin, free from sin? Blasphemy once again! Nobody but Christ was free from sin!

Romans 3
[22] 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:
[23] For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
[24] Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

This passage tackles both claims from the RCC. God says that all have sinned, and that Jesus Christ is the redeemer, no one else.

When is Mary given the title as "Queen" in the Bible? Of course the answer is never. This title of "Queen" or "Queen of Heaven" echoes the ancient Babylonian pagan religion, to which the RCC is extremely closely connected to. (I will not get into this in this blog, it's just too much. Maybe some other time.) When is she labeled the "Blessed Virgin?" Never.

Was Mary even a virgin after she gave birth to Jesus? No she was not. Scriptural proof:

Matt 1:
[18] Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
[19] Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
[20] But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
[21] And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
[22] Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
[23] Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
[24] Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
[25] And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

What do we learn from this passage? While Mary was married to Joseph, "before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost." Now Joseph didn't know that the Lord did this yet. He assumed Mary cheated on him, and wanted to put her away, or divorce her. The Lord came to him in a dream and told him that the Holy Ghost conceived the child. Now let's look at what verse 25 implies:

"And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS."

What is this verse saying? Joseph "new her not TILL" she birthed Jesus. The Bible doesn't say Joseph never knew her! It says he waited until Jesus was born to consummate his marriage!

Let's look and see the Biblical truth that Mary birthed more children after Jesus was born.

Matthew 13
[54] And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?
[55] Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
[56] And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?

I know people trapped in Catholicism will attempt to refute this by saying brethren and sisters are symbolic, or that they represent those in Christ. While that is sometimes the case, the context of this passage clearly indicates that Jesus had brothers and sisters. First the crowd asks if Jesus is Joseph's son, and that Mary is His mother. This is a dead giveaway to the fact that James, Joses, Simon and Judas were His brothers! (Half brothers of course, Joseph is not Jesus' father because He was conceived by the Holy Spirit.)

More verses to further back up this claim:

Matthew 27:
[56] Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children.

Mark 3:
[31] There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him.

Mark 6:
[3] Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.

Mark 15:
[40] There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;

Mark 16:
[1] And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.

Matthew 12:
[46] While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.
[47] Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.
[48] But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
[49] And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
[50] For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

This passage is of even more significance than the others. Here we see Jesus' mother and brothers desiring to talk to Him. He answers by basically de-emphasizing their importance in their relation to Him on earth, calling everyone that does the will of His Father His brother, sister and mother! What does that say for what Jesus thinks of this "Virgin Mary" idea? There are more verses but I must move on.

I'll leave you with a few more verses from the Bible showing exactly Who is the intercessor between God and man, and then I will move on to another topic. I could drive this into the ground, but I'll leave it up to you to search this further out. These speak for themselves, so read God's Word and hear what He has to say.

Romans 8:
[34] Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Hebrews 7:
[22] By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.
[23] And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:
[24] But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
[25] Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

God's Priesthood vs. the Priesthood of the Roman Catholic Church

Do you think this man (Cardinal Egan of New York) is holier than you are? Do you think God holds him in higher regard than you? He doesn't. In fact, God will exact His judgment on Egan unless he repent of his sins and be saved by the Lord Jesus. That's besides the point. :)

Why is the RCC set up with a Pope, Bishop, and all sorts of priests in a hierarchy? Why are they adorned like they are something special, set apart from others? Of course, this isn't Biblical. Are you surprised I'm saying this by now? All born again Christians are the priesthood of God, and Jesus Christ is our High Priest. It's that simple. There is no need for this system - it doesn't even teach God's Biblical truth!

Examples of Christ as our high priest:

Hebrews 2:
[16] For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
[17] Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

Hebrews 4:
[14] Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
[15] For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
[16] Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 5:
[5] So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.
[6] As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
[7] Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
[8] Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
[9] And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
[10] Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.

Hebrews 7:
[22] By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.
[23] And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:
[24] But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
[25] Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
[26] For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
[27] Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.
[28] For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.

Hebrews 9:
[11] But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;

The Body of Christ as a priesthood:

1 Peter 2:
[5] Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
[6] Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
[7] Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
[8] And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
[9] But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Remind me why we need a Roman Catholic priesthood again? We have Jesus as the High Priest, and we believers are a royal priesthood, so there is no need for that system. The RCC priesthood doesn't even teach the truth! They are a bastardized version of the truth! They delete commandments, pervert God's word, teach strange doctrines, and lead people away from the real Jesus!

There is no other mediator to the Father other than Christ Jesus. We do not need a system of priests to connect us to Him, we have The Lord! We all have the right to come before His throne!

God the Father vs. The Roman Catholic "Holy Father"

As I'm sure you already know, the Popes of the RCC have the title of "Holy Father" among other things. What does Jesus, the Son of God say about this?

Matthew 23:
[8] But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
[9] And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
[10] Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.

God Himself tells us not to call anyone on earth our father! How much clearer can this be? Note the Rabbi and Master context here. We can know that Jesus is referring to the word "father" as meaning a godly figure. There is one Rabbi, one Master, one Father. The God of Israel is our one and only Father! Not some man-appointed pope who has zero of the characteristics of Christ! Jesus lived a humble, simple life, and told the Truth given to Him by His Father. The popes exalt themselves and sit on a throne as a god while millions of people worship him! Can't you see the audacity of this? How do you think this makes the Holy One feel?

2 Thessalonians 2:
[3] Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
[4] Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

God's Holy Word is calling out the pope system to be the man of sin. One of the pope's titles is "Vicarius Filii Dei," which means Vicar of Christ. What does Vicar mean? SUBSTITUTE! The pope has the unimaginable audacity to call himself a substitute for Christ! If this doesn't reek of antichrist I don't know what else does. Please think about it. Look how this man adorns himself and eats up the glory. Look at how the RCC claims that popes are without sin. The Bible says all have sinned. Who is telling the truth? God or a man?

Maybe you're confused. Maybe you're thinking "but Peter was the first pope and Jesus gave him authority!" Allow me to expose this lie that the RCC has been feeding their millions of followers.

Matthew 16:
[18] And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Please pay very close attention, because this verse debunks the entire foundations of Catholicism alone. The RCC was not the first church, and Peter was not a pope.

When Jesus mentions Peter, the original Greek word here is "Petros." Here is the definition:

Πέτρος
Petros
pet'-ros
Apparently a primary word; a (piece of) rock (larger than G3037); as a name, Petrus, an apostle: - Peter, rock. Compare G2786.

A piece of rock. Extremely clear.

Now, which "rock" is Jesus referring to next? The Greek:

πέτρα
petra
pet'-ra
Feminine of the same as G4074; a (mass of) rock (literally or figuratively): - rock.

Ooh, Jesus is using a different version of the English word "rock" here! He says His church will be built on a mass of rock! It's clear to see that Jesus is using a little play on words here. He calls Peter a little rock, and then states that He (Jesus) will build His church on a massive rock, himself. Let's get other examples of Christ being called the Rock.

Matthew 7:
[24] Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
[25] And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

"Rock" in this passage is petra.

Luke 6:
[48] He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

Petra again.

Romans 9:
[33] As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

Again, petra. Let's lock this in with absolute certainty, shall we?

1 Corinthians 10:
[4] And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

Jesus Christ is the Rock, the foundation we are all built on, that nothing in the world can prevail over. Peter is a small rock, a fragment of the foundation we are all a part of through Christ. Christ is the cornerstone, Peter is like you and me!

With that being said, Peter was not a pope and he had no more authority then every true born again believer of Christ has! The RCC is lying to you.

I could go on further about the atrocities of the popes, but I have much more to write, and I want to maintain your attention!

The Lord's Supper vs. The Eucharist

The Eucharist is another glaring atrocity in the RCC. A lot of Catholics may look at the Eucharist as a symbol, in remembering what the Lord did for us. This is how we should look at it. However, this is not what the RCC says about the Eucharist in the catechism. The catechism claims that this is a literal sacrifice of Christ, and that it is a crucial "Sacrament" to their faith. They incriminate themselves (i'm thumbing through this link from the catechism):

"It is by the conversion of the bread and wine into Christ's body and blood that Christ becomes present in this sacrament."

Do you see what this is saying? This institution claims that a priest converts the bread and wine into Christ! Words can't express how bad this is! It is pure evil to teach this, and to believe this is the case. If you didn't know the RCC advocates this, there it is in plain English from their own catechism. Leave this system! God wants you to! Repent from all of this and come to Christ! He will embrace you and reveal Himself to you, I promise. What does God say about the sacrifice of Christ? This is extremely important.

Hebrews 9:
[11] But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; [12] 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.

[23] It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. [24] For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: [25] Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; [26] For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. [27] And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: [28] So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

These verses very plainly show that Jesus Christ was sacrificed once for all sin, and it satisfied God the Father forever. Jesus is never sacrificed again, He is seated at the right hand of the Father. He does not come into a wafter and die again. That is a very serious error that God will judge when the time comes.

What should the Lord's Supper be then?

Luke 22: [19] And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. 1 Corinthians 11: [23] For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: [24] And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. [25] After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

The Lord's Supper is something we do to remember His sacrifice for our sins, by His one time death on the cross. Personally, I think it can be any meal that we choose to remember Him with. It doesn't have to be a wafer and wine, it can be anything we choose. God doesn't limit us to rituals. By partaking in the Eucharist, you are sinning against God and you will be held accountable to Him. Please, I beg you to leave the RCC! Their blasphemous beliefs are in plain sight, and the Word of God exposes them very clearly!

Scripture vs. Tradition

I will start this section with the same verses from Revelation 22 that I posted earlier.

[18] For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
[19] And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

God's Word is final. It is complete. We are forbidden to add or subtract to it, it stands as a whole. This is very important to soak in. There is no adding traditions or rituals to God's Word. It is what it is, and that's it.

What does the Catholic Church do? Add traditions of men and rituals, of course. They have added confessional, in which the priest will absolve sin. They encourage repetitive "Haily Mary" prayers with rosary beads. They command not to eat meat on Fridays during Lent. They set up a system of Sacraments in which a person can hope(!) and not assume(!) they are saved! They forbid priests and nuns to marry, and they pray to dead saints. I'm sure there are many more, but I will expose these with what God's Word has to say about them.

1 Timothy 4
[1] Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
[2] Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
[3] Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
[4] For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
[5] For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

Paul, through the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is calling out the Catholic Church here (although probably not exclusively), quite obviously. He calls their traditions "doctrines of devils!" This is very strong language. He rebukes their lies, the forbidding of marriage and abstaining from meat! Nobody is forbidden to marry, the Bible says nothing of it. Marriage is encouraged (1 Corinthians 7, among other passages). We are allowed to eat anything we want, there is no Scripture that forbids us during any time period throughout the year. Lent isn't even in the Bible, it's a made up man-made tradition! Who do you choose to listen to? God in His Word, or what a blasphemous "Church" has to say?

What does Jesus say about prayer?

Matthew 6:
[5] And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
[6] But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
[7] But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

When you see a Pope or Bishop or anyone praying with their hands clasped in front of a crowd, you have to wonder as to what their intentions are. Are they earnestly seeking the Lord or are they seeking attention and their own reverence? God honors the prayers that are made in secret, and that are from the heart. He doesn't want you chanting repetitious nonsense over and over again! Do you think He has a hard time hearing? Do you think He honors robots? God wants a people to love Him from their hearts, not to be disconnected and chant requests with no feeling. Also, things like the Hail Mary aren't even directed to Him! They are prayers to idols!

God's Word on the forgiveness of sin:

1 Timothy 2:
[5] For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Hebrews 8:
[6] But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.

Mark 2:
[10] But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins,

Luke 5:
[20] And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.
[21] And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?

Colossians 2:
[13] And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him (Christ), having forgiven you all trespasses;

John 1:
[29] The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Romans 11:
27] For this is my covenant unto them, when I (Christ) shall take away their sins.

Acts 13:
[38] Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man (Christ) is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:

God alone has the power to forgive sins, through the spilled blood of Jesus Christ! No man has any chance in the world, I don't care if it's the blasphemously exalted Pope, he has no power whatsoever! Jesus Christ is the only mediator, and through Him is the only way sins are forgiven!

Even the Pharisees knew that God alone could forgive sins, and they didn't get much right! Some of the Gospels consist of Jesus' blasting them! (Note the similarities between the Pharisees of old and the modern day Catholic Priest system. Jesus knows everything.)

What does our Lord say regarding praying to saints? First, let's learn about what happens to people when they die. This could be a blog of its own, but I will give you the short version here.

1 Corinthians 15:
[3] For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
[4] And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
[5] And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
[6] After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

[17] And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
[18] Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

1 Thessalonians 4:
13] But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
[14] For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
[15] For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
[16] For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Matthew 9:
[24] He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.

John 11:
[11] These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
[12] Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.
[13] Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
[14] Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

Now I know this is highly controversial, but the Bible clearly uses the term "asleep" or "sleepeth" to describe the state of the dead before Christ returns. Jesus Himself says it throughout the gospels. It's truth.

With that being said, any and all "saints" in the Catholic faith are dead. So what does God say about praying to the dead? Before we get into that, remember the Second Commandment? We are commanded not to pray to anyone or anything other than the Lord! If that hasn't convinced you yet, let's look further. Please read 1 Samuel 28:3-20. Also, this website shows many other verses as to why praying to saints is not scriptural.

Are we saved by faith alone or do works play a role in salvation, as the RCC teaches? I have already address this to some extent in an earlier blog entitled "Evidence of Salvation and Faith Evidenced by Works." I encourage you to read the bottom third of the entry or so. The top part isn't a bad read either, if you have the time. ;)

Does purgatory exist? The Roman Catholic Church teaches that it does, and scares its members into giving money for the hope that they can shorten a loved one's sentence. Do you believe them, or will you believe what Almighty God has to say? First, the verses on sleep that I showed you teach us through God's Word that the dead are dead. They aren't anywhere else but the grave right now. It's all over Scripture. With that being said, how can there be a Purgatory? Do a Bible search for that word, you won't find anything. Hades is the state of the dead, the grave. So is sheol. It's not gehenna either. Don't try too hard, it doesn't exist in the Word. Here is one verse that closes the book on Purgatory for all eternity:

Hebrews 9:
[27] And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

A final point: doesn't the idea of purgatory suggest that Christ's sacrifice wasn't good enough? I hope you realize that it was definitely good enough, and through His blood we are redeemed and justified to the Father! We don't need to spend time in limbo to earn our way to Him!

Conclusion

This has been a very great and time consuming undertaking, but I have done it for the Lord's Glory and for His Truth. I have done it because I care about those trapped in the Roman Catholic Church, and I want to see them free from that bondage. I want them to experience true salvation and a true relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, because the one in the RCC is a counterfeit. I know I came on very strong in this blog entry, and that I was blunt. The truth cannot compromise, and I have to tell you like it is. I pray that you soak this up and examine it through the Bible. Read, read, read. God's Word will mold you, and you will see the errors of the Catholic system. The more you learn of the Lord, the further He will distance you from "doctrines of devils."

Please, if you get something from this, pass it on! That goes for born again Christians too. This has to get out there, because the Christian world has embraced Rome as one of their own, while that can't be further from the truth. Nobody wants to stand up for this anymore. The reformers knew it in the 1600s, and this voice existed strongly until the dawn of the 20th century or so. It's been stifled with ecumenism and a very lukewarm Body of Christ. Let's stand up for the Lord and do something for Him. Let's separate ourselves from the world, and learn of the Lord from His Word alone, and conform to it. Make a difference! Jesus told us not to hide our light under a table. Embrace being radical for Him. We aren't on this earth to compromise, we are here to live holy lives for the God who has given us eternal life. We are the only light this darkened world will ever see, and we are commanded to teach the gospel to the lost!

I thank you dearly for reading this entry, if you got this far. There's no prize for finishing this, except maybe the gift of eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ. :) I pray He touches the hearts of anyone who came across this.

I welcome any and all comments you have. May the Lord bless you.

Be of Good Cheer

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June 27, 2009

Joyce Meyer: False Teacher, Wolf, and possible Luciferian

"We're never going to mature and develop godly character until we learn to live with the all-seeing eye on us all the time. "

June 20, 2009

The Lord Jesus Christ vs. The Roman Catholic Church

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Be of Good Cheer

Excellent Links

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Search This Blog

June 27, 2009

Joyce Meyer: False Teacher, Wolf, and possible Luciferian

"We're never going to mature and develop godly character until we learn to live with the all-seeing eye on us all the time. "

June 20, 2009

The Lord Jesus Christ vs. The Roman Catholic Church

Be of Good Cheer