“Dad, Let’s get out of this blank blank place!”

The last couple of days I’ve posted on topics related to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). Today, I’ll finish up this short series with a humorous memory from long ago.

This story may be a little offensive to some so I apologize in advance. I mean no offense to my Lord or fellow believers but I think the words are a valuable part of the story. As a little background, our son, Steve, was around five years old at the time and I hadn’t accepted the Lord Jesus Christ yet. The language around our home may have been a little raw at times.

Sometime back around 1982-83, our youngest son, Steve, and I packed into the car and headed to Fayette, New York, about 50 miles away. I had studied the origins of the Mormon church for several years and had already visited the church-sponsored visitor centers and historic sites in Palmyra (Smith family home, Sacred Grove, Hill Cumorah, and Grandin print shop where the Book of Mormon was printed). In Fayette was the Peter Whitmer farm and visitor center. Whitmer had been an early and important follower of Smith. The Mormon church was formally organized at the Whitmer farm in 1830.

So Steve and I arrived at the Whitmer site and we began strolling through the visitor center exhibit. The elderly husband and wife Mormon missionary couple assigned to the center came over to greet us and commenced with their sales pitch. I had no intention of joining Mormonism (I was already well aware of much of the church’s dubious history and theology at that point) but I enjoyed engaging the couple in conversation and impressing them with how knowledgeable I was. After about ten minutes of conversation, our young son began losing his patience and piped in, “Dad, can we go now? ” I replied with that pat parental answer, “In a little while.” After ten more minutes of talking, a much more frustrated Steve said, “DAD! Can we go now???” I was disappointed my son had interrupted us again so I gave him a stern look and said once again that we would be leaving soon. Sensing their opportunity was coming to an end, the elderly couple began pushing VERY hard to close the deal. After several more minutes, Steve could no longer contain himself and blurted out very loudly, “DAD, LET’S GET OUT OF THIS G** D*** PLACE!” The couple’s jaws dropped right down to the floor. I was stunned and very embarrassed. My son had never spoken that way to me before, in private or public. But I was also relieved that he gave us a good reason to walk away. I apologized and we scooted out the door. As I looked back, the old couple was still standing there in a state of shock. I think I remember buying my son an ice cream cone on the way home. Steve, was only five but he had nailed it right on the head.

The chronology is a little fuzzy after 30+ years, but I believe my wife and I accepted the Lord just a few months after this encounter. That poor couple was selling a false gospel of works religion and much of their church’s unorthodox doctrine had no connection to the Bible. We Christians proclaim the Good News of salvation by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone! And we stand on the Truth of God’s Good Word, not on some home-brewed religion or traditions.

Sola Fide, by faith alone.
Sola Scriptura, by Scripture alone.
Solus Christus, through Christ alone.
Sola Gratia, by grace alone.
Soli Deo Gloria, glory to God alone.

http://www.gotquestions.org/sinners-prayer.html

More “problems” with Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post (see here), several decades ago I spent a lot of time studying the origins of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). I learned the church’s founder, Joseph Smith, claimed to have translated some Egyptian papyri into the “Book of Abraham” in 1835. When the papyri were discovered 130 years later they were found to be only simple Egyptian funerary instructions rather than the writings of Abraham. Smith was proven to be a charlatan.

But the “Book of Abraham” hoax is far from the only embarrassing and incriminating item in LDS history. Today, let’s look at 4 other problems the LDS church has a difficult time explaining.

1) Origin of Native Americans disproved

In early 19th-century America, there was endless speculation and debate on the origins of the Native Americans. Joseph Smith was allegedly directed to golden plates by the angel Moroni in 1823, which he subsequently translated into the Book of Mormon. According to the BoM, a tribe of Israelites traveled by boat to the Americas around 600 BC. The immigrant group split into two factions, the warlike, dark-skinned (natch) Lamanites and the peaceful, godly, fair-skinned Nephites. Jesus Christ supposedly appeared to the Lamanites and Nephites after His resurrection and peace reigned for a short time but conflict then resumed. The unbelieving Lamanites slaughtered the last of the Nephites at a cataclysmic battle in 385 AD at Hill Cumorah near Palmyra, NY. According to the BoM, the Native Americans are descendants of the Lamanites. However, modern science has thrown a wrench into the BoM narrative. Researchers agree that the ancestors of the Native Americans migrated from Eastern Asia to the Americas over the ancient Bearing Strait land bridge. DNA evidence completely debunks the BoM’s claims that Native Americans are of Semitic origin.

2) No evidence of grand Nephite civilization

The Book of Mormon describes a highly advanced Nephite civilization with cities scattered across the Americas. However, not one shred of archaeological evidence has ever been unearthed which supports the BoM claims of a vast Nephite civilization with its “Reformed Egyptian” language. Despite intense efforts by the Mormon church, archaeology offers Smith’s BoM tale zero support.

3) Blacks denied priesthood then allowed

The second prophet and president of the LDS church, Brigham Young, declared in 1852 that Black men could not be Mormon priests. He claimed Blacks were descendants of Ham and their dark skin was the curse of Cain and, as such, could not attain the priesthood. Due to mounting societal pressures, the twelfth prophet of the church, Spencer Kimball, reversed Young’s declaration in 1978 and accepted Black men to the priesthood. How could one God-led prophet reverse the teachings of another?

4) Polygamy encouraged then abandoned

Joseph Smith introduced polygamy into the church as a sanctioned and blessed practice. His early successors continued to condone and encourage polygamy. However, in the face of mounting pressure from the U.S. government, Wilford Woodruff, the 4th prophet and president, claimed to receive a revelation in 1890 discontinuing plural marriage. Hmmm, the Mormon god seems to be quite a vacillating character, reversing himself on such important issues as the priesthood for Black men and polygamy.

Yes, false prophets and false religions abound. There are many denominations that claim to be “Christian” but do they uphold the orthodoxy of the Word of God? Do they proclaim the Gospel of salvation by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone? Be cautious of what and who you embrace. The Lord God has provided more than enough proof for even the most credulous LDS that Joseph Smith was a deceiver and Mormonism is a false religious system. If your favorite TBN “evangelical” preacher embraces Mormon, Glenn Beck, cut your ties. You’re in trouble if you’re getting your theology from TBN.

“This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Do not listen to what the (false) prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD.” – Jeremiah 23:16

The “Book of Abraham” hoax: Iron-clad proof that Joseph Smith and Mormonism are frauds

Recently, I’ve posted some messages about how conservative pundit, Glenn Beck, has been invited to participate in evangelical-sponsored events. Beck is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormons. Some evangelicals would argue that Beck shares the same “moral values” as conservative Christians and indeed loves God righteously according to his own belief system. They argue evangelicals would be better off embracing religious Americans like Beck who share the same “moral values” rather than checking the fine print of their denominational membership cards in this age of encroaching secularism.

Really? I say not so fast.

I’m a bit of a history geek and back in the late 70s-early 80s I was curious about the Mormon church, which had it’s beginnings in Palmyra, New York, about 25 miles from where I live. Joseph Smith claimed that God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him in 1820, which later led to his receiving “golden tablets” and producing the Book of Mormon. Smith founded the Mormon church in Palmyra, which subsequently relocated to Ohio, then to Illinois, and finally to Utah.

The Mormon church has some extremely strange unbiblical theology but I will only touch on a few particulars for this post. Mormons do not preach the Gospel of salvation by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. They teach baptismal regeneration and that God the Father was once a mortal man who advanced to deity by obeying a different god. Mormons believe that by following their church’s requirements, they can achieve deity themselves and rule over their own universes.

Joseph Smith claimed to be God’s prophet and to receive direct revelation. But while studying Mormonism, I discovered some irrefutable proof that Joseph Smith was a deceiver and a false prophet.

After the church had moved to Kirtland, Ohio, a traveling exhibit came to town, which included some ancient Egyptian papyri. Smith got his hands on the papyri and translated them into “The Book of Abraham,” alleged writings from the Old Testament patriarch, which was subsequently canonized as Mormon scripture. In the 1960s, the very same papyri in question were discovered in the archives of a New York City museum. Trained Egyptologists examined the papyri and found they were simple Egyptian funerary rites. Smith’s “translation” was proven to be a complete and total lie, a fabrication.

“When Joseph first gave his translation, hieroglyphics were undecipherable. Today they are. He was safe in saying anything he wanted to, and there would be no way of proving him wrong. But with the resurfacing of the same papyri he used to do his Book of Abraham translation and the fact that he did not in any way do it correctly should be proof enough that Joseph Smith lied about his abilities from God. He has been shown to be a false prophet.” – from “The Book of Abraham Papyri and Joseph Smith,” Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry

Mormon apologists backpedaled by declaring the papyri were simply a “catalyst” for revelation!

Smith was proven to be an absolute, 100% fraud, yet the Mormon church marches on, drawing more poor souls into its false gospel. And now we have the evangelical compromisers on TBN inviting Mormon Beck to help them defend American “values” and the “gospel.”

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” – 1 John 4:1

For more on the “Book of Abraham” and Mormon scam, see here.

Weekend Update – News and Commentary – 8/27/16

Hard to believe it’s the end of the week already! Here’s some news that caught my eye the past seven days:

• Glenn Beck Joins Pastor John Hagee at ‘American Gospel Celebration’ 3-Day Event in Kentucky

First, Beck, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), co-hosted a TBN 4th-of-July special with Christian ultra-nationalist, David Barton (see my post here). Now, he’s pairing with TBN regular, Hagee (he of the blood moon mis-prophecy), for a “gospel” celebration in Kentucky? Are Christians losing their minds? What blood-bought, born-again Christian would attend a “gospel” celebration featuring a Mormon on the platform? This is “Bizarro World” (c)hristianity, part and parcel for TBN.

• ‘My Catholic faith is very important to me’: Two Catholic Olympians refuse to allow their faith to be swayed

I saw several stories the past two weeks which featured Roman Catholic members of the American Olympic team paying homage to their Catholic faith. Sadly, these athletes, like all Catholics, are trusting in the sacraments and their own works to merit Heaven. Christian churches and organizations also use celebrities who have accepted Christ to lead people to the Gospel. It can be a good thing but it also disturbs me when I see celebrities given great honor by the church – bordering even on idolatry. People fall. The focus always needs to be on Jesus Christ.

• Catholic Church Groups Fight Bills To Revive Old Sex Abuse Cases

One might think that the Catholic church would altruistically want to get to the bottom of every sexual abuse case and come to the aid of every person victimized by its pedophile priests. Not the case.

• Catholic worshippers witness ‘miracle’ as Virgin Mary statue starts ‘crying BLOOD
• Bolivian Catholics Break Rocks To Break Bad Luck Streaks

As these two stories testify, Catholicism is a mixture of (c)hristianity and paganism. Idolatry, superstition, and reliance on good luck talismans are rife throughout Catholicism.

• People flock to Kosovo church ahead of Sister Theresa’s canonization

The upcoming (Sept. 4) canonization of the extremely popular Mother Teresa is an important public relations boon for the Catholic church. Born-again believers need to know the whole story on Mother Teresa. See my earlier post here.

• Is Vatican, under Pope Francis, moving away from teachings of John Paul II on life and marriage?
• Pope Francis says priests must be taught to see shades of gray
• Vatican newspaper: ‘Amoris Laetitia’ is authoritative church teaching
• Cardinal Burke insists he is serving Francis, not opposing him

The ongoing tug-of-war between pope Francis and Catholic conservatives is fascinating theater. Francis is attempting to make the church less doctrinaire and more appealing to lapsed Catholics and non-Catholics but the traditionalists won’t have it. Catholic apologists who regularly decry Protestantism’s lack of unity should take note.

• The madness of non-practicing Catholics: boycotting the feast

Catholics boast that, of all the “Christian” churches, they and the Eastern Orthodox alone have the real presence of Jesus Christ in the eucharist. Catholics sadly misinterpret John 6 and the Last Supper passages. Receiving Jesus is not physically eating Him, it’s accepting Him as Savior by faith. Millions upon millions of Catholics line up and receive the alleged Jesus wafer into their mouth every Sunday and absolutely nothing happens. Despite the claim of “transubstantiation,” the “host” remains just a piece of bread. But when a person genuinely repents of their sin and accepts Jesus Christ as their Savior by faith…!!!! WOW! That is the start of the genuine, never-ending spiritual feast! Praise to Jesus Christ and all that He is!!!!

• 5 Catholic phrases that need to go away, now

A little Catholic-speak humor for those who follow the church closely.

If you read only one book about the Reformation, this would be an excellent choice.

The Unquenchable Flame: Discovering the Heart of the Reformation
By Michael Reeves
B&H Publishing, 2010, 207 pages

In the process of becoming legalized by the Roman Empire and subsequently adopted as the official state religion, the early Christian church began incorporating many of the beliefs and practices of its pagan predecessors. By the 15th century, the Roman Catholic church had very little in common with the primitive, New Testament church. The message of salvation by a personal, saving faith in Jesus Christ had devolved into clerical imperialism, ritual, and ceremony. In addition to its hopelessly compromised theology, the church had become an open cesspool of greed, corruption, political intrigue, and immorality.

But then something absolutely wonderful happened. Beginning in the 14th century (some would argue for an even earlier date), men and women began rising up to challenge the church’s autocratic position through the power of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit. The flame of reform reached a tipping point in the early 1500s when Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin broke from Rome completely in their endeavor to return the church to simple saving faith in Jesus Christ. With the translation of the Latin Bible into the vernacular and the invention of the printing press the Roman church was unable to get the horse back into the barn despite the anathemas, inquisitions, and executions.

I’ve read several books on the Reformation over the past year and this easy-to-read primer is one of the best. Reeves writes with much wit while also delivering on the historical essentials. He doesn’t put the Reformers on a pedestal. Luther, Zwingli, Calvin and the rest were all flawed sinners saved by God’s grace. Some monarchs definitely exploited the movement for political and economic advantages and it took succeeding Reformers to move the church even farther from Roman error. But the Holy Spirit accomplished a great work through these early Reformers and we should be grateful for their courage and fidelity to the Gospel of salvation by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. In addition to the three principals, Reeves devotes quite a bit of attention to the Reformation movement in England.

Most people who flock to today’s evangelical mega-churches know little or nothing about the Reformation. Catholics talk about Jesus, grace, and faith and that’s good enough for many. But Catholicism hasn’t changed any of its important doctrines since 1517. It still teaches the same gospel of sacramental grace and merit. Catholics can never say they are saved because they must continue to attempt to merit their salvation right up until the day of their death. Reeves confronts those evangelicals who declare the Reformation is over. In this era of ecumenical compromise and the betrayal of the Gospel, the Reformation must continue. Roman Catholics (and unsaved Protestants) remain as a mission field.

As we approach the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, if you should decide you would like to read a non-academic introduction, this well-written, short book would be an excellent choice. It’s readily available from Amazon.

Leviticus needn’t be a trek through the desert

I’ve read through the Bible many times just like many of you. I must admit that one of my least favorite books in the Bible was Leviticus. Can anyone else relate? The book focuses mainly on the sacrificial rites and the role of the Levitical priesthood. There’s a lot of intricate detail about the sacrifices, the priesthood, ceremonial uncleanness, and Israel’s national religious feasts. It’s very dense, challenging reading. Needless to say, you won’t hear many sermons in church based on Leviticus. A Google search of “least popular books of the Bible” brings up many articles pointing to Leviticus.

Ahhh, but let’s not be too hasty. Somewhat obscured by all the ritual and detail in Leviticus is some absolutely amazing Christ typology! The lamb without blemish. The sacrifice for sin. The scapegoat. The blood on the altar. The high priest. The laver. The censer and incense. The lampstand. The shewbread. The veil screening the Holy of Holies. The Lord Jesus Christ is alluded to throughout the book.

My wife and I are reading through the Bible together as part of our daily devotion and Leviticus was our next book. I was tempted to skip it to spare my wife such difficult reading but we plowed ahead. The day before we read a chapter I would study it thoroughly using John MacArthur’s one-volume Bible commentary, J. Vernon McGee’s Thru-the-Bible Commentary, and Unger’s Bible Dictionary. Folks, using some helpful Bible resources like the ones mentioned adds greatly to an understanding of Leviticus. I was able to share many of the allusions to Christ with my wife as we read. Tonight we read the last chapter of Leviticus. I can’t say if my wife will be sorry but I have a new fondness for this under-appreciated book.

If you dread reading Leviticus, or even skip over it, I suggest you pick up a few Bible references that will help you to better understand some of the amazing Christ typology in the book. Many, many times my mouth dropped wide open as I fully realized the clear pictures of Jesus Christ in this Old Testament book.

Fragment of “true cross” stolen from a Catholic church?

News sources report a fragment of the “True Cross” was recently stolen from St. Dominic’s Roman Catholic church in San Francisco, California (photo shows empty case after theft). See one of the news stories far below.

According to legend, Helena, the mother of Roman Emperor, Constantine, traveled to Palestine around 326-328 AD in search of relics associated with Jesus Christ and allegedly discovered the actual cross that Jesus was crucified upon. She supposedly took a portion of the cross back to Constantinople but left the majority of it in Jerusalem. The invading Catholic crusaders of the Middle Ages were said to have taken fragments of the cross from Constantinople back to Europe. Many Catholic churches claimed to have a fragment of the cross. John Calvin coyly remarked:

“There is no abbey so poor as not to have a specimen. In some places there are large fragments, as at the Holy Chapel in Paris, at Poitiers, and at Rome, where a good-sized crucifix is said to have been made of it. In brief, if all the pieces that could be found were collected together, they would make a big ship-load. Yet the Gospel testifies that a single man was able to carry it.”

What are Christians to make of all of this? Did Helena actually discover Jesus’s actual cross 300 years after His crucifixion? The chances of that happening would have been most assuredly less than zero. But this whole “true cross” business is an interesting example of Catholic syncretism. Roman paganism relied heavily on amulets, talismans, and other good luck charms. Possessing such articles portended good health and prosperity. As the early church transitioned from simple, saving faith in Jesus Christ to institutionalized religious legalism, it borrowed from paganism and proclaimed that relics and other physical objects (candles, holy water, medals, crucifixes, etc.) would obtain blessings for the possessor or worshipper. Consequently, religious objects and ritual became the focus rather than seeking a right spiritual relationship with the Creator. Accumulating a few famous relics assured a church a steady stream of money-paying pilgrims eager to receive blessings.

“They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.” – Romans 1:25

Material objects mean nothing. If one person possessed Jesus’s entire cross, His crown of thorns, the whip that shredded His back, and the nails that held Him to the cross it would do them absolutely no good. It’s all worthless garbage. Repent of your sins. Accept Jesus Christ as you Savior by faith.

“God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” – John 4:24

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” – Colossians 2:8

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Matthew 6:19-21

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Relic Believed to Be Fragment of ‘True Cross’ Missing From Catholic Church
http://abcnews.go.com/US/relic-believed-fragment-true-cross-stolen-catholic-church/story?id=41565832

Read more about the legendary “true cross” here.

The Vatican prepares to declare Mother Teresa a “saint”

Mother Teresa (born Anjeze Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, 1910-1997) is scheduled to be canonized as a Roman Catholic saint at a ceremony at the Vatican on September 4th. Hundreds of millions of Catholics around the world are eagerly anticipating the canonization. The Time magazine special edition on the life of Mother Teresa is already in place at the grocery store check out lines (see photo). I’ve put together a little question and answer exchange below to shed some light on Mother Teresa’s upcoming canonization.

What does it mean when the Catholic church canonizes someone?

Through a vetting process including the evidence of two intercessory miracles, the church determines a dead person is a “saint” who merited entry to Heaven and declares they can act as mediators between God and people. Normally the canonization process takes multiple decades if not centuries, but it’s in the church’s best interests to capitalize on Mother Teresa’s high popularity. The New Testament doesn’t teach anything about “saints” being super-spiritual people who merited their way to Heaven more quickly than most works religionists. The Bible refers to “saints” as all those who accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and are sanctified in Him.

But doesn’t the Bible say there’s only one Mediator between God and people and that’s Jesus Christ? [1 Timothy 2:5-6] 

Nowhere in the Bible does a believer pray to someone other than God. Teaching that dead people can hear any prayers let alone the prayers of thousands and even millions simultaneously assumes they have powers that only God possesses. As someone who has accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior, I can come directly to the throne of grace. [Hebrews 4:16] To teach there are other mediators between God and mankind is blasphemous and repugnant to all those who have accepted Christ and been bought with the blood of our Precious Savior.

Why is Mother Teresa so famous? Other people have been deeply involved in charity work.

Influential British journalist, Malcolm Muggeridge, brought Mother Teresa to the world’s attention in 1967 and her reputation snowballed. Pastors – both Catholic and Protestant – held Mother Teresa up as THE standard of “Christian” charity.

Did Mother Teresa believe in the Gospel of salvation by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone?

No. It’s clear from her many statements (see the article below) that Mother Teresa followed the Catholic gospel of sacramental grace and merit. She also supported her church’s teaching that people of all religions and even atheists can merit Heaven if they obey “the light they’ve been given” and are “good.”

If Mother Teresa followed a gospel of sacramental grace and works then why do so many evangelical pastors point to her as the standard of Christian charity?

Good question. We’re seeing the compromise and betrayal of the Gospel of grace by some in the cause of “Christian unity.” Notice that the forward to the Time magazine special edition commemorating Mother Teresa’s canonization was written by “America’s Pastor,” Rick Warren. That was no afterthought.

Isn’t it uncharitable to speak negatively about Mother Teresa?

I love all Roman Catholics and I pray they accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. Mother Teresa symbolizes a religion that teaches a person must merit their salvation. It’s much more charitable to be honest with Catholics and to point them to Jesus Christ than to remain silent about the unbiblical and spiritually deadly doctrines that were upheld by Mother Teresa.

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I’ve posted Tim Challies’s informative article below on Mother Teresa a couple of times but here it is again for anyone who hasn’t seen it:

The Myth Of Mother Teresa
http://www.challies.com/articles/the-myth-of-mother-teresa

Weekend Update – News and Commentary – 8/21/16

It’s time to look back on the news of the past week. Despite some trials and difficulties, I’m grateful to the Lord for seven sunrises, seven sunsets, and the many blessings in between.

• Bishop Robert Muench offers dispensation to Catholics, asks those in flooded areas to stay home
• A Drop-Off in Faith Participation Reported for Younger Catholics
• Catholic Converts and Cradle Catholics

Catholics are obligated to attend mass every week. Missing a single mass incurs a mortal sin that damns the offender to Hell. In case of emergencies, bishops can temporarily lift the obligation as was done in sections of Louisiana that were recently flooded. But the reality is the vast majority of Catholics flaunt their church’s teaching by not attending weekly mass. Outside of a few memorized prayers and rituals, the VAST majority of Catholics have only a very vague knowledge of their church’s legalistic theology.

• When Philadelphia was the center of anti-Irish Catholic riots
• Al Smith: The “Happy Warrior” who was unapologetically Catholic

It’s irresponsible journalism to write about anti-Catholicism in American history without mentioning the Vatican’s condemnation of democracies and Catholicism’s persecution of non-Catholics in countries where it a held numerical superiority and could negotiate an oppressive concordat with the national government.

• Site of Marian apparitions in Wisconsin becomes national shrine
• Pope on Solemnity of Mary’s Assumption: ‘She Was First to Believe in Son of God’
• The Assumption: Sweet Mary, assumed body and soul into Heaven, pray for us.
• Explaining Lourdes and the Assumption of Mary

Catholic theology gives Christ “formal” preeminence over Mary but in practice Catholic worshippers give as much attention to Mary as Jesus, in many cases even more so. This is so blasphemous and grieves the hearts of Christ’s followers.

• Lutherans and Catholics may finally be on their way to mending divide
• US Lutherans approve agreement with Catholic Church

Much of Lutheranism drifted into modernism long ago. Catholicism has a long list of distinct beliefs and practices that are repugnant to Bible-believing evangelical Christians, the most significant being a belief in salvation by sacramental grace and merit. There is no common ground between evangelical Christians who uphold the Gospel of salvation by grace through faith alone and Roman Catholics. They remain as one of our mission fields along with liberal Lutherans.

• Protestants and Catholics to join for prayer walk in response to satanic ritual

How many Americans actually worship Satan? The number must be extremely small. No, the real danger to Christians is ecumenism with Roman false christianity.

• Remembering Kolbe, who stood up to Nazis at Auschwitz

It’s important to remember that although Kolbe may not have been an anti-Semite himself, his publishing ministry was responsible for a great portion of the anti-Semitic vitriol that flooded interwar Poland prior to Hitler’s invasion in September 1939.

• Catholics venerate relics of Dominican saints in Juhu convent

As usual, Catholics are worshipping the creation instead of the Creator. It’s all about receiving Jesus Christ as personal Savior but instead these poor Catholics venerate/worship dead people’s bones.

• Billy Graham: Banning Prayer at Public Schools Cannot ‘Banish God From Our Hearts

Many Christians still bemoan the secularization of the public school system and other public and governmental institutions. Not me. The dominionist notion of America being a “Christian nation” was a mistake. With their political influence waning, maybe evangelicals can now get back to reaching out to the lost again instead of trying to legislate “morality.” By the way, Billy Graham may have led many to Christ but no one has done more to muddy the Gospel of grace by his embrace of Roman Catholicism.

Just how painful is “Purgatory” supposed to be?

Christians believe in a literal Heaven and Hell. Those who accept Jesus Christ as their Savior in this lifetime will go to Heaven to be with their Lord. Those who do not accept Christ will go to Hell, which was made for Satan and his demons.:

http://www.gotquestions.org/hell-real-eternal.html

Roman Catholicism teaches a third after-life destination called Purgatory. Catholics are taught their salvation depends on participation in the sacraments, which bestow grace, which enables a person to obey the Ten Commandments (impossible!) and church rules so they can be in a perfect “state of grace” when they die, so they can merit Heaven.

People being people, the church teaches that most won’t be able to achieve a sinless “state of grace” – there’s all those pesky unconfessed “venial” sins and the residue of unmeted temporal punishment for “mortal” sins absolved in the confessional – so God allegedly created Purgatory so imperfect souls can be cleansed before they enter Heaven. The justification for Purgatory comes mainly from the apocryphal 2 Maccabees 12 where Jews offered sacrifices for the souls of dead soldiers. The problem is the dead soldiers were blatant idolaters, a mortal sin, which made them ineligible for Purgatory.

I don’t want to go too deep into this Purgatory business. It’s irresponsible exegesis and just another facet of a works salvation system. But what I do want to clarify is what exactly Catholicism teaches regarding the suffering involved in Purgatory. If souls must be purified in Purgatory, how much pain is involved? I was listening to the 7/3/14 podcast of the Calling All Catholics talk radio show (Station of the Cross, 101.7 FM, Buffalo, NY) today and “father” Dave Baker dismissed the notion of suffering in Purgatory. “(Purgatory) is a rest stop on the way to Heaven…I don’t think they’re suffering pain. It’s more they can hear that there’s a big party down the hall in Heaven and they can’t get there yet. So that’s the source of suffering,” reasoned Baker. I’ve heard another priest, “father” Rick Poblocki, make similar dismissive statements on the show regarding the notion of painful suffering in Purgatory.

This comfortable “waiting lounge” version of Purgatory might appeal to post-modern sensibilities but I must protest. Wait a minute! Not so fast! In the past, Catholic theologians taught that the cleansing fires of Purgatory were EXTREMELY painful. Saint Thomas Aquinas, a Doctor of the church, declared, “It is the same fire that torments the reprobate in hell, and the just in purgatory. The least pain in purgatory, surpasses the greatest suffering in this life. Nothing but the eternal duration makes the fire of hell more terrible than that of purgatory.” Many other notable Catholics of the past claimed the sufferings in Purgatory equaled those of Hell.

3 Sobering Visions of Purgatory from the Saints

So when it comes to the alleged suffering in Purgatory, are Catholics supposed to believe saint Thomas Aquinas or fathers Baker and Poblocki? The Catholic church changes its mind on these kinds of details all the time but nobody seems to ever bat an eyelash.

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Instead of trusting in man-made religious doctrines that forever change, put your trust in the Rock, Jesus Christ. I’m so grateful the Lord led me out of legalistic religion and opened my eyes to His Good News of salvation by His grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. My Jesus paid the penalty for ALL of my sins and covered me in His perfect righteousness. I have no plea other than Him!

http://www.gotquestions.org/sinners-prayer.html

http://www.gotquestions.org/purgatory.html