http://www.heavenlymanna.net/christianArticle.php?article_id=361
Obviously, I didn't write this, but I felt like you should see it anyway. Check it out.
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Imaginary Friends?
You're all probably wondering, "Are you ever going to write about metal again?" Yeah, one of these days.
So anyway, this is a post about imaginary friends and tulpas. From, like everything else here, a Christian perspective.
In theory, there's nothing wrong with the basic idea of an imaginary friend. There's nothing wrong with interacting with something that doesn't exist. Now, here's the problem: you have to be careful.
At first, these beings are usually imaginary. But it's all too easy for negative forces that are real to get in there, and impersonate your imaginary friend. This isn't crazy of me to say, either. Back when I was into some occult stuff, there were beings/voices that I was almost certain were real, but there were one or two I knew were false. I purposely imagined those. But then they started to feel more real to me.
It happened really slowly, too. I knew they (the latter one(s)) were imaginary, but then I began to wonder. Why? I don't know. Eventually I didn't know that they weren't real anymore; I just started wondering. Eventually I just accepted that they were real, and what they became were misleading and deceptive, just like the real ones. This is a real phenomenon.
Quick note: I'm now aware that dealing with beings like that, which are real, is forbidden. Leviticus 19:31, Leviticus 20:6, Deuteronomy 18:9-14
Which leads to my next point. When they become real, that's when there's a problem. I mean, in theory, a "good" spirit has the capability to interact with you like that, but I have NEVER seen an instance of it. It's ALWAYS deceptive, demonic beings like the ones that interacted with me.
Tulpas in modern terms are basically the same thing as imaginary friends when you get down to it, but they appear a little more real, and can act without your 100% conscious command. Again, there's nothing theoretically wrong with this. It's not idolatry as one site I saw said, neither are imaginary friends, but you have to be even more careful with tulpas anyway. There is the very real possibility of negative beings entering in situations like that and taking control. It'd be even more subtle with a tulpa, because you're not (always) (consciously) controlling it. There's no real telling when a negative being could come in and how obvious its influence could be to you.
So, if I were you, I'd just avoid these ideas altogether, but I personally, won't explicitly forbid them. But I do recommend that you avoid them. And if you feel like you really need them, just be extremely, extremely careful. Enjoy them, but be careful. Most of you have no idea how deceptive those beings can be if something gets in there, and when you finally get the guts to kick out the negative beings if they appear... you'll feel pretty lousy afterwards, left with a lot of sticky negative essence and loneliness. May God bless, protect, and guide you all according to His perfect will. In Jesus' name. Amen.
So anyway, this is a post about imaginary friends and tulpas. From, like everything else here, a Christian perspective.
In theory, there's nothing wrong with the basic idea of an imaginary friend. There's nothing wrong with interacting with something that doesn't exist. Now, here's the problem: you have to be careful.
At first, these beings are usually imaginary. But it's all too easy for negative forces that are real to get in there, and impersonate your imaginary friend. This isn't crazy of me to say, either. Back when I was into some occult stuff, there were beings/voices that I was almost certain were real, but there were one or two I knew were false. I purposely imagined those. But then they started to feel more real to me.
It happened really slowly, too. I knew they (the latter one(s)) were imaginary, but then I began to wonder. Why? I don't know. Eventually I didn't know that they weren't real anymore; I just started wondering. Eventually I just accepted that they were real, and what they became were misleading and deceptive, just like the real ones. This is a real phenomenon.
Quick note: I'm now aware that dealing with beings like that, which are real, is forbidden. Leviticus 19:31, Leviticus 20:6, Deuteronomy 18:9-14
Which leads to my next point. When they become real, that's when there's a problem. I mean, in theory, a "good" spirit has the capability to interact with you like that, but I have NEVER seen an instance of it. It's ALWAYS deceptive, demonic beings like the ones that interacted with me.
Tulpas in modern terms are basically the same thing as imaginary friends when you get down to it, but they appear a little more real, and can act without your 100% conscious command. Again, there's nothing theoretically wrong with this. It's not idolatry as one site I saw said, neither are imaginary friends, but you have to be even more careful with tulpas anyway. There is the very real possibility of negative beings entering in situations like that and taking control. It'd be even more subtle with a tulpa, because you're not (always) (consciously) controlling it. There's no real telling when a negative being could come in and how obvious its influence could be to you.
So, if I were you, I'd just avoid these ideas altogether, but I personally, won't explicitly forbid them. But I do recommend that you avoid them. And if you feel like you really need them, just be extremely, extremely careful. Enjoy them, but be careful. Most of you have no idea how deceptive those beings can be if something gets in there, and when you finally get the guts to kick out the negative beings if they appear... you'll feel pretty lousy afterwards, left with a lot of sticky negative essence and loneliness. May God bless, protect, and guide you all according to His perfect will. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Clearing Up Misconceptions (Progressivists)
I was reading a "progressive" Christian page recently, and I was honestly appalled at what I was reading.
These statements weren't just different interpretations of Scripture like the age of the Earth or something, these were literal blasphemy.
I would like to point out before I get into this that I am not a fundamentalist looney old preacher, I am a (young-ish) metal fan who used to be into some occult stuff and has come to accept controversial Biblical views over several years. And even if I were the former, my individual status still wouldn't invalidate God's word.
1) Gay marriage and gay sexual activities don't go against God's will? (Genesis 1:28-29, Mark 10:6-7, Leviticus 18:22) I don't hate gay people. (Also, I will not disclose my own orientation; it's not important.) Hatred is murder (1 John 3:15) and I will not judge somebody for their preferences. You could be attracted to any number of things, gay, straight, normal, weird; what matters to God is how you handle those attractions (see end of paragraph). God's marriage is different from what humans consider marriage. God's marriage is... about love to a degree, sure, but isn't just about a union; it's also about reproduction, having children, which only biologically happens between a man and a woman. This is not discrimination. This isn't about holding back people of other genders, it's just the very basic definition of what marriage is. A deaf person wouldn't have much place in a record store; a blind person at an art gallery; it's not discrimination against them, it's just what the idea is about, and they just don't fit it, the VERY same principle applies to God's definition of marriage. It's NOT about hatred, it's about what marriage exactly is! The Bible is God's word to us, and He's clearly not too happy about gay marriage. But don't be mistaken, heterosexuals also have VERY clearly-defined rules that all would do well to learn and keep in mind. Some people are called to flat-out celibacy (could be homosexuals' calling too?). It's not about gays vs straights, it's about living a holy life, which everybody is to do, homosexuals included.
2) There isn't a Hell? Luke 16:19–31, Matthew 18:34-35, Matthew 3:12, Matthew 13:30, Revelation 20:14-15, Revelation 20:9-10 This does not mean that God isn't loving! He sent His own Son to be crucified on a cross for you! He doesn't want you to experience that, and takes no pleasure in sending anyone there (Ezekiel 18:31-32), but He will do so - He has warned you many, many times, He has sent His Son and told you EVERYTHING you need to do to have eternal life. Literally all you have to do is accept these things into your heart, and you will never have to experience it! He is preserving your free will, while throwing you every possible lifeline to save you! This is God's love, that He wants to save even the lowest of the low, but will not force them (since everybody complains about "forcing" beliefs...) He wants so, very much to save you from Hell. But Hell does exist.
3) Jesus isn't the only way to Heaven? John 14:6, 1 Peter 4:3 (". . . and abominable idolatries"), Galations 5:19-21 (". . . idolatry and witchcraft") This can't be any clearer. We're to only worship the Holy Trinity, (in the right way! Deuteronomy 12:30-31), we're supposed to fully acknowledge and accept Jesus as our savior, and follow Him. The first verse I mentioned here is very clear! Jesus is the ONLY way to Heaven! This isn't to offend people who worship other gods, I point this out so that any of you who do will realize this truth, and come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9), God and I want to see you in Heaven, in eternal peace and comfort! But you need to accept Jesus as your savior, and you (progressivists included) need to reject the false notion that there are other ways to Heaven. Jesus is the ONLY way to Heaven.
I think that covers it for now, but these are basic Biblical truths that are being compromised here. Just because these statements are "old" doesn't mean they're "outdated" - God's word is never outdated! Times may change, but God's will is consistent throughout all of it. Don't listen to wolves in sheep clothing trying to spread false ideas. Listen to God's holy word in the Bible, with genuine, heartfelt prayer-guided reflection. May you all be blessed and guided to God's truth, according to His perfect will! In Jesus' name. Amen.
These statements weren't just different interpretations of Scripture like the age of the Earth or something, these were literal blasphemy.
I would like to point out before I get into this that I am not a fundamentalist looney old preacher, I am a (young-ish) metal fan who used to be into some occult stuff and has come to accept controversial Biblical views over several years. And even if I were the former, my individual status still wouldn't invalidate God's word.
1) Gay marriage and gay sexual activities don't go against God's will? (Genesis 1:28-29, Mark 10:6-7, Leviticus 18:22) I don't hate gay people. (Also, I will not disclose my own orientation; it's not important.) Hatred is murder (1 John 3:15) and I will not judge somebody for their preferences. You could be attracted to any number of things, gay, straight, normal, weird; what matters to God is how you handle those attractions (see end of paragraph). God's marriage is different from what humans consider marriage. God's marriage is... about love to a degree, sure, but isn't just about a union; it's also about reproduction, having children, which only biologically happens between a man and a woman. This is not discrimination. This isn't about holding back people of other genders, it's just the very basic definition of what marriage is. A deaf person wouldn't have much place in a record store; a blind person at an art gallery; it's not discrimination against them, it's just what the idea is about, and they just don't fit it, the VERY same principle applies to God's definition of marriage. It's NOT about hatred, it's about what marriage exactly is! The Bible is God's word to us, and He's clearly not too happy about gay marriage. But don't be mistaken, heterosexuals also have VERY clearly-defined rules that all would do well to learn and keep in mind. Some people are called to flat-out celibacy (could be homosexuals' calling too?). It's not about gays vs straights, it's about living a holy life, which everybody is to do, homosexuals included.
2) There isn't a Hell? Luke 16:19–31, Matthew 18:34-35, Matthew 3:12, Matthew 13:30, Revelation 20:14-15, Revelation 20:9-10 This does not mean that God isn't loving! He sent His own Son to be crucified on a cross for you! He doesn't want you to experience that, and takes no pleasure in sending anyone there (Ezekiel 18:31-32), but He will do so - He has warned you many, many times, He has sent His Son and told you EVERYTHING you need to do to have eternal life. Literally all you have to do is accept these things into your heart, and you will never have to experience it! He is preserving your free will, while throwing you every possible lifeline to save you! This is God's love, that He wants to save even the lowest of the low, but will not force them (since everybody complains about "forcing" beliefs...) He wants so, very much to save you from Hell. But Hell does exist.
3) Jesus isn't the only way to Heaven? John 14:6, 1 Peter 4:3 (". . . and abominable idolatries"), Galations 5:19-21 (". . . idolatry and witchcraft") This can't be any clearer. We're to only worship the Holy Trinity, (in the right way! Deuteronomy 12:30-31), we're supposed to fully acknowledge and accept Jesus as our savior, and follow Him. The first verse I mentioned here is very clear! Jesus is the ONLY way to Heaven! This isn't to offend people who worship other gods, I point this out so that any of you who do will realize this truth, and come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9), God and I want to see you in Heaven, in eternal peace and comfort! But you need to accept Jesus as your savior, and you (progressivists included) need to reject the false notion that there are other ways to Heaven. Jesus is the ONLY way to Heaven.
I think that covers it for now, but these are basic Biblical truths that are being compromised here. Just because these statements are "old" doesn't mean they're "outdated" - God's word is never outdated! Times may change, but God's will is consistent throughout all of it. Don't listen to wolves in sheep clothing trying to spread false ideas. Listen to God's holy word in the Bible, with genuine, heartfelt prayer-guided reflection. May you all be blessed and guided to God's truth, according to His perfect will! In Jesus' name. Amen.
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Don't Listen to Televangelists!
Most, if not all, televangelists are NOT servants of God! If you watched them and saw a corrupted message, believe me, all who read this: God is just as angry about those lies as you are. These people may be speaking about God, and they may quote His word, but they are no different than the pharisees of Jesus' day; whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful/okay on the outside, but it hides death inside.
Also, they like to distort the word of God to the point that it has a whole different message! Can you think of any other beings who like to speak to servants of God and try to tell them a message that is not in line with God's word? I can think of one in particular!
Now, remember that we are NOT to hate people (1 John 3:15). Don't support their actions, but pray for them, pray that these people might accept -- not only find, they've already done that much -- but accept the truth, and repent before they learn the hard way. I want to see these people change, and I'd like to see them in Heaven. If any of them read this - REPENT! Stop reading my blog, and stop reading your own thoughts, and read the BIBLE! God is more than a marketing tool, and your behavior comes with a price. You will learn someday... why not make that day today?
Here are some videos about televangelists:
http://youtu.be/T245DmTUjKY?t=2m34s
Also, Benny Hinn says that if you donate to him, you can get blessings in return. This is what God's word says about that: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+8%3A18-22
Here's more about Benny Hinn.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA--WMl6u-k See Mark 12:41-44
Here's several of their lies being exposed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKLZvmR1GeY
And that's that! Don't listen to them, or their heresy, as it stands. Read the Bible, and listen to its clear instructions with prayerful guidance. If a televangelist hindered your relationship with God, understand that God does not condone what they do, and He wants no part of such manipulative nonsense. Don't listen to the "ravening wolves" in "sheep's clothing". God wants you to come to repentance and to accept Jesus as your savior. God wants you to, unlike televanglists, worship in spirit and truth.
Also, they like to distort the word of God to the point that it has a whole different message! Can you think of any other beings who like to speak to servants of God and try to tell them a message that is not in line with God's word? I can think of one in particular!
Now, remember that we are NOT to hate people (1 John 3:15). Don't support their actions, but pray for them, pray that these people might accept -- not only find, they've already done that much -- but accept the truth, and repent before they learn the hard way. I want to see these people change, and I'd like to see them in Heaven. If any of them read this - REPENT! Stop reading my blog, and stop reading your own thoughts, and read the BIBLE! God is more than a marketing tool, and your behavior comes with a price. You will learn someday... why not make that day today?
Here are some videos about televangelists:
http://youtu.be/T245DmTUjKY?t=2m34s
Also, Benny Hinn says that if you donate to him, you can get blessings in return. This is what God's word says about that: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+8%3A18-22
Here's more about Benny Hinn.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA--WMl6u-k See Mark 12:41-44
Here's several of their lies being exposed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKLZvmR1GeY
And that's that! Don't listen to them, or their heresy, as it stands. Read the Bible, and listen to its clear instructions with prayerful guidance. If a televangelist hindered your relationship with God, understand that God does not condone what they do, and He wants no part of such manipulative nonsense. Don't listen to the "ravening wolves" in "sheep's clothing". God wants you to come to repentance and to accept Jesus as your savior. God wants you to, unlike televanglists, worship in spirit and truth.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Random Thoughts
Hear: A man committed many heinous crimes and went to jail with a life sentence. His lawyer - an honest one, looking to help - asked to speak to him, and they allowed him in to speak. The man informed the lawyer that he hated being in jail. The lawyer said happily, "There are things we can do to get you out! I've found a way to help you! Then you can be freed from this prison, and you can go out and find happiness again." But the man said, "No, I will find my own way out of jail. I don't need your help." And the man spent the rest of his life in jail. Everything he tried failed.
Also, isn't it astounding that I experience temptation the most when I'm closest to doing God's will? If sins are just caused by instinct or by human emotion, why am I tempted to sin more ONLY when I pose a threat to the adversary? Wouldn't I want to sin all the time?
If there is one thing I have learned in my like two months of online evangelizing, it's that there are some seriously mentally troubled human beings out there. In fact, you could get the same thing from reading the news, but people's instability has only been magnified in recent events. Humanists need to look at the world - I don't know what mankind they think can survive without God, but it's not the one on the planet where I live. These people are lost and in desperate need of a savior.
Also, isn't it astounding that I experience temptation the most when I'm closest to doing God's will? If sins are just caused by instinct or by human emotion, why am I tempted to sin more ONLY when I pose a threat to the adversary? Wouldn't I want to sin all the time?
If there is one thing I have learned in my like two months of online evangelizing, it's that there are some seriously mentally troubled human beings out there. In fact, you could get the same thing from reading the news, but people's instability has only been magnified in recent events. Humanists need to look at the world - I don't know what mankind they think can survive without God, but it's not the one on the planet where I live. These people are lost and in desperate need of a savior.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Sadness?
When I listened to a lot of dark music, I was more inclined to sadness. There are a number of reasons for that, the most obvious being: 1) the direct negative spiritual influence, and 2) the general mental effect of listening to negative music - it makes you sad, too!
Another reason though, is more to do with the scene itself. The secular black metal scene often use anger and sadness as standards; the better you can express those emotions, the more positive reviews you will probably get.
When you're in a scene where there's a lot of competition to be the "darkest", most "pained" band out there, how do you think people in the scene are going to be?
Obviously very few people will want to exhibit those traits, but when you're around it so much, it rubs off on your psyche anyway! I guess you could say you sort of start "wanting" those emotions anyway. I'm not a psychology expert, but I would definitely describe it that way. And any secularists reading this will say how stupid these words are. "They don't want to be sad, the world just keeps dragging them down! They listen to that music to help them cope with their feelings! They listen to that music because it 'just sounds good'!" It's hard to imagine, but that's actually usually wrong.
Imagine you or your friends being "cheery" people, greeting each other with sincere smiles and hugs. It makes you cringe. Imagine dealing with the "preps" out there. Who would want to do that? But see, those people aren't like that just because they're on some euphoric popularity trip, or because they're "idiots", they're just different. Some of them are putting on a show, sure, but some of them are just happy people. There are plenty of happy people in the world who are very aware of what's going on. (What's "actually going on" is different from what the secular scene tells you too, but that's for another post.)
Happiness, true happiness, seems to be a sign of weakness in that scene, and in fact in a lot of the world in general. It's not! It's okay to be happy! Your sadness doesn't have to define you. You don't have to hide behind it. It's okay to look at the good in a situation. It's okay to be positive, even cheery if you feel like it, even if "it's faggy" / "it's douchey" / what have you, because it's not! Happiness, even being goofy is okay. It's fine to listen to happier music, too.
I would actually recommend it! The world is full of bad stuff, to be sure, but we don't have to let it affect us so much! We don't have to listen to music based on it and that revels in it. Finding more positive stuff will clean out your psyche (and even your spirit, depending how positive it is). Thinking more positively will magnify those effects.
I know how weird it is for a lot of metalheads to think this way, but try it! Express happiness! Happiness and sadness are contagious, which would you rather someone spread to you? Maybe you can become someone who starts it where you are.
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice!
Psalms 32:11 Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.
Luke 1:47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
God bless and guide you all according to His perfect will! In Jesus' name, Amen.
Another reason though, is more to do with the scene itself. The secular black metal scene often use anger and sadness as standards; the better you can express those emotions, the more positive reviews you will probably get.
When you're in a scene where there's a lot of competition to be the "darkest", most "pained" band out there, how do you think people in the scene are going to be?
Obviously very few people will want to exhibit those traits, but when you're around it so much, it rubs off on your psyche anyway! I guess you could say you sort of start "wanting" those emotions anyway. I'm not a psychology expert, but I would definitely describe it that way. And any secularists reading this will say how stupid these words are. "They don't want to be sad, the world just keeps dragging them down! They listen to that music to help them cope with their feelings! They listen to that music because it 'just sounds good'!" It's hard to imagine, but that's actually usually wrong.
Imagine you or your friends being "cheery" people, greeting each other with sincere smiles and hugs. It makes you cringe. Imagine dealing with the "preps" out there. Who would want to do that? But see, those people aren't like that just because they're on some euphoric popularity trip, or because they're "idiots", they're just different. Some of them are putting on a show, sure, but some of them are just happy people. There are plenty of happy people in the world who are very aware of what's going on. (What's "actually going on" is different from what the secular scene tells you too, but that's for another post.)
Happiness, true happiness, seems to be a sign of weakness in that scene, and in fact in a lot of the world in general. It's not! It's okay to be happy! Your sadness doesn't have to define you. You don't have to hide behind it. It's okay to look at the good in a situation. It's okay to be positive, even cheery if you feel like it, even if "it's faggy" / "it's douchey" / what have you, because it's not! Happiness, even being goofy is okay. It's fine to listen to happier music, too.
I would actually recommend it! The world is full of bad stuff, to be sure, but we don't have to let it affect us so much! We don't have to listen to music based on it and that revels in it. Finding more positive stuff will clean out your psyche (and even your spirit, depending how positive it is). Thinking more positively will magnify those effects.
I know how weird it is for a lot of metalheads to think this way, but try it! Express happiness! Happiness and sadness are contagious, which would you rather someone spread to you? Maybe you can become someone who starts it where you are.
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice!
Psalms 32:11 Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.
Luke 1:47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
God bless and guide you all according to His perfect will! In Jesus' name, Amen.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Logic
Some people think that the reason I am a Christian is because, darn-tootin', I'll just believe anything I hear.
Yes, that's why I reject: atheism, deism, paganism, heathenism, taoism, satanism, druidism, atavism, naturalism, wicca, occultism, gnosticism, esotericism, zoroastrianism, (modern) judaism, hinduism, islam, buddhism, norse mythology, and new age. It's because I'll believe "anything" I hear.
No, I'm a Christian because I'm aware of God's work in this world. Christianity is the only logical belief. I also see that the world literally could not operate in the way it does if supernatural forces were not at work. There are too many coincidences, too many unexplained phenomena, too many similar cases, too many subtle nudges that can't be explained as fleeting thoughts... Also the simple fact that something can't come from nothing. That "something" and those "supernatural forces" being, of course, explained by Christianity.
God bless you all, according to His perfect will. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Yes, that's why I reject: atheism, deism, paganism, heathenism, taoism, satanism, druidism, atavism, naturalism, wicca, occultism, gnosticism, esotericism, zoroastrianism, (modern) judaism, hinduism, islam, buddhism, norse mythology, and new age. It's because I'll believe "anything" I hear.
No, I'm a Christian because I'm aware of God's work in this world. Christianity is the only logical belief. I also see that the world literally could not operate in the way it does if supernatural forces were not at work. There are too many coincidences, too many unexplained phenomena, too many similar cases, too many subtle nudges that can't be explained as fleeting thoughts... Also the simple fact that something can't come from nothing. That "something" and those "supernatural forces" being, of course, explained by Christianity.
God bless you all, according to His perfect will. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
A Note to the Secular Black Metal Scene
Nicki Minaj Bamboobles Her Butt Critics! People took the time to examine Nicki Minaj's butt so well that they decided to criticize it or something, so Nicki Minaj wore a shirt that accentuated her chest. They, I, we all, have been successfully bamboobled.
Alright, now that we've gotten that out of our systems, let's get right down to things.
A huge complaint I noticed in the secular black metal scene was always the "Christians" who are supposedly taking over our world today. Inflicting technology, pollution, and mundane articles like ones about Nicki Minaj's "bamboobling" abilities. The complaint was that while the bold pagans and atheists were making atmospheric black metal albums, standing against society's meaningless banter, we Christians were supposedly embracing it and capitalizing off of it. Let me be very clear about something here: that is not true.
Nobody who is interested in serving God will embrace the society we have now. They'll easily be as against it as, almost definitely more than, the secular scene. Society today contradicts the rules set forth by Jesus so much, it's insane.
Society today is about violence, about hedonistic sloth and greed and gluttony and lust (and using psychological warfare to make people want those things!), about impatience and wrath, about seeking immediate comfort, about modernizing, about submitting to corrupt authority that works for its own agendas, about corporations taking advantage of their workers, about fighting your own way to the top of a nonsense ladder of deceitful societal lies fabricated as "reality", all things that God never wants from us ever for any reason.
Here are some of the things which God wants us to ponder, rather than society:
Luke 21:1-4 As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
John 15:18-19 "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you."
Also, God calls His natural creations "good" (Genesis 1), Jesus overturned tables when people were misusing a temple (Matthew 21:12-17), Jesus also openly called out the corrupt authorities of that day (Matthew 23), Christianity is actually very much in line with many of your views, and interestingly enough, God is against many of the same things that you are. If any of you are reading this, really, the more I read the Bible, the more I realized that God was actually "on our side" too. God is against the corruption, against the anger, against the - if you will - "stupidity" in our world, against the pointless meandering of the media, against wasting our natural resources for personal gain, all of it. The biggest mistake someone in the secular scene's position can make is to lump God in with those practices, which is a very common misconception. The idea is that the elites claim to be Christians, so you assume they are, when they are actually "ravenous wolves" (Matthew 7:15) and are nothing like the example Jesus set forth.
In fact, one main reason I listened to your music for as long as I did (before I could discern positivity and negativity) was how much I, a Christian, agreed with parts of your message: the rebellion against society, the longing for beauty in our world, the shameless self-expression... That's what God wants from His followers! Why do you think there are so many unblack, Christian bands? It's not just because we all want to evangelize to you! If you're into "true" black metal and are truly against society, if you really support rebellion and creativity like black metal talks about, God may well be calling you to Him.
It's not black metal but this song came to mind: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgpoeTj_Qns
Alright, now that we've gotten that out of our systems, let's get right down to things.
A huge complaint I noticed in the secular black metal scene was always the "Christians" who are supposedly taking over our world today. Inflicting technology, pollution, and mundane articles like ones about Nicki Minaj's "bamboobling" abilities. The complaint was that while the bold pagans and atheists were making atmospheric black metal albums, standing against society's meaningless banter, we Christians were supposedly embracing it and capitalizing off of it. Let me be very clear about something here: that is not true.
Nobody who is interested in serving God will embrace the society we have now. They'll easily be as against it as, almost definitely more than, the secular scene. Society today contradicts the rules set forth by Jesus so much, it's insane.
Society today is about violence, about hedonistic sloth and greed and gluttony and lust (and using psychological warfare to make people want those things!), about impatience and wrath, about seeking immediate comfort, about modernizing, about submitting to corrupt authority that works for its own agendas, about corporations taking advantage of their workers, about fighting your own way to the top of a nonsense ladder of deceitful societal lies fabricated as "reality", all things that God never wants from us ever for any reason.
Here are some of the things which God wants us to ponder, rather than society:
Luke 21:1-4 As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
John 15:18-19 "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you."
Also, God calls His natural creations "good" (Genesis 1), Jesus overturned tables when people were misusing a temple (Matthew 21:12-17), Jesus also openly called out the corrupt authorities of that day (Matthew 23), Christianity is actually very much in line with many of your views, and interestingly enough, God is against many of the same things that you are. If any of you are reading this, really, the more I read the Bible, the more I realized that God was actually "on our side" too. God is against the corruption, against the anger, against the - if you will - "stupidity" in our world, against the pointless meandering of the media, against wasting our natural resources for personal gain, all of it. The biggest mistake someone in the secular scene's position can make is to lump God in with those practices, which is a very common misconception. The idea is that the elites claim to be Christians, so you assume they are, when they are actually "ravenous wolves" (Matthew 7:15) and are nothing like the example Jesus set forth.
In fact, one main reason I listened to your music for as long as I did (before I could discern positivity and negativity) was how much I, a Christian, agreed with parts of your message: the rebellion against society, the longing for beauty in our world, the shameless self-expression... That's what God wants from His followers! Why do you think there are so many unblack, Christian bands? It's not just because we all want to evangelize to you! If you're into "true" black metal and are truly against society, if you really support rebellion and creativity like black metal talks about, God may well be calling you to Him.
It's not black metal but this song came to mind: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgpoeTj_Qns
Useful Information on the Forces at Work
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5vZ14Ozqzw
^ This is a video of a man who was heavily into satanism and turned Christian. He exposes many of the things that go on behind the scenes, and how these things work.
It's in things from Pokemon to horror movies. The Illuminati are real, and the "Star of David" is a symbol used when practicing black magic.
The most interesting part, for me, is he tells of a time when a Christian woman was threatening to expose his group, a group thinking their side had all the power, and they summoned a demon and they told him to go put a hex on this lady. The demon returned a few minutes later angry at all of them and said, "Don't you ever send me after a Christian again!" That's how "powerful" demonic forces are compared to the power of Jesus Christ.
God bless and protect you all according to His perfect will. In Jesus' name. Amen.
^ This is a video of a man who was heavily into satanism and turned Christian. He exposes many of the things that go on behind the scenes, and how these things work.
It's in things from Pokemon to horror movies. The Illuminati are real, and the "Star of David" is a symbol used when practicing black magic.
The most interesting part, for me, is he tells of a time when a Christian woman was threatening to expose his group, a group thinking their side had all the power, and they summoned a demon and they told him to go put a hex on this lady. The demon returned a few minutes later angry at all of them and said, "Don't you ever send me after a Christian again!" That's how "powerful" demonic forces are compared to the power of Jesus Christ.
God bless and protect you all according to His perfect will. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Monday, October 6, 2014
Rant About the Local Church Conference and Our Role as Christians
For many reasons, I'm going to be vague about this, but let me explain the situation. I belong to a church. This church is part of a group of churches in the local area. The "group" (as a whole, so not just my church) owned a local property that they often used for (spiritual) getaways. For example, when I was younger, my church took us to this property over the weekend a couple of times and much to my spiritual benefit! Some might assume the worst about such situations, but this was actually, sincerely, a wonderful place for me - nothing bad happened there, we genuinely learned about God and about Jesus there. It was at this place that I sent my prayer about the fighting, about the hate-filled life I was leading. That prayer to God is what set in motion everything that led me to as good of a place as I am right now. I still have a ways to go, we all always will, but I have improved so much through God's grace in that situation, I can hardly describe it.
So I was upset to hear that they didn't have the money to keep the property and might have to sell it.
They ended up having to sell it. Surely there were a number of people interested in this property, it was a beautiful building with plenty of woods and stuff.
Apparently, according to this paper, the property was originally purchased years and years ago for the purpose of training for church leadership. For a long time now, this property has been used to welcome people of various backgrounds to help people develop awareness in the world, or something.
And so they sold the quote "holy" property to Buddhists.
They did so hoping to remain faithful to the original intent of the people there. Buddhism doesn't sound very much like training for Christian church leadership, but what do I know?
Look, the fact is, this is highly non-Christian behavior of them. People today like to think that Buddhism isn't that bad in Christian terms since, hey, at least it promotes peace, right? Nothing can be bad if it promotes peace! But it can be. Jesus didn't come to Earth to bring peace, but a sword. Also, at the end of the day, though Buddhism may teach some nice-sounding values, the belief still denies Jesus Christ, and the Father. It still teaches things contrary to the Holy Bible, and that's dressed-up blasphemy. Blasphemy sounds like a harsh word, but let's be honest with ourselves here, it still is. You don't have to run around and burn churches and make band logos with inverted crosses in them to be blasphemous. It's all wrong in the eyes of the Father, and now this property that was originally used to bring people to God is now being used to lead people away from Him.
I can hardly believe that information about a Buddhist center looking to "chant" "Buddha's name" was located anywhere on a paper given to me at my church. I do not hate Buddhists, I don't hate anyone, but I cannot respect the belief itself. I can't accept that the place that helped rekindle my relationship with the true and living God is now owned by people seeking to worship lies. Then the "group" of churches, the one which released the statement, have the nerve to gleefully write that a Buddhist center will be established on quote "holy" ground.
They call this, and I quote, "exciting and extraordinary", claiming that the spiritual quest of Buddhism mirrors our own. IT DOES NOT!!! I mean no disrespect to Buddhist people here, even though I know how this will sound, but Buddhism as a belief is blasphemous lies set forth by the adversary, deceptive, denying the truth that he's always trying to hide. The only difference is, Buddhism doesn't look as bad to unfocused eyes because it teaches some nice values.
The statement suggests that they fully embrace the fact that Buddhists will own the quote "holy" property, and have no intent to do anything about it. This always looks like love to unfocused eyes, because you're "being respectful" by being "tolerant" and not pushing your views which they clearly do not want to hear. This is not love. True love is spreading the word of God, true love is prohibiting other beliefs from spreading whenever possible, because God is truth, Christ is our savior, and Hell as bad as it sounds awaits anyone who doesn't see those truths. Avoiding the truth is lying, a principle which almost anybody recognizes, and by being silent, people are allowing the lost souls to go to Hell. That doesn't sound very much like love to me. Don't be ashamed to spread the word! It's like when your parents took something harmful away from you as a child. You wanted it, but it would have hurt you. Out of love, parents take sharp, harmful things away so that their children will be safe and happy. We are to do likewise with our friends, with others in this world. They want something else, but it WILL hurt them. Our duty is to spread the word so that they can be safe in God's love. This sounds like hatred, but it IS NOT. It's love, it's concern for our neighbors, it's hope that others can have the grace of God in their lives, too. This isn't hatred. It's love.
May God bless you all according to His perfect will. May God help our local group of churches. They are severely misled as it is. Maybe they will see it and repent, just as I did. God's will be done. In Jesus' name. Amen.
The statement ends with a prayer from a reverend from many years ago who wanted the property to bring forth good fruit for the kingdom of God. You can't imagine how sad reading that makes me.
So I was upset to hear that they didn't have the money to keep the property and might have to sell it.
They ended up having to sell it. Surely there were a number of people interested in this property, it was a beautiful building with plenty of woods and stuff.
Apparently, according to this paper, the property was originally purchased years and years ago for the purpose of training for church leadership. For a long time now, this property has been used to welcome people of various backgrounds to help people develop awareness in the world, or something.
And so they sold the quote "holy" property to Buddhists.
They did so hoping to remain faithful to the original intent of the people there. Buddhism doesn't sound very much like training for Christian church leadership, but what do I know?
Look, the fact is, this is highly non-Christian behavior of them. People today like to think that Buddhism isn't that bad in Christian terms since, hey, at least it promotes peace, right? Nothing can be bad if it promotes peace! But it can be. Jesus didn't come to Earth to bring peace, but a sword. Also, at the end of the day, though Buddhism may teach some nice-sounding values, the belief still denies Jesus Christ, and the Father. It still teaches things contrary to the Holy Bible, and that's dressed-up blasphemy. Blasphemy sounds like a harsh word, but let's be honest with ourselves here, it still is. You don't have to run around and burn churches and make band logos with inverted crosses in them to be blasphemous. It's all wrong in the eyes of the Father, and now this property that was originally used to bring people to God is now being used to lead people away from Him.
I can hardly believe that information about a Buddhist center looking to "chant" "Buddha's name" was located anywhere on a paper given to me at my church. I do not hate Buddhists, I don't hate anyone, but I cannot respect the belief itself. I can't accept that the place that helped rekindle my relationship with the true and living God is now owned by people seeking to worship lies. Then the "group" of churches, the one which released the statement, have the nerve to gleefully write that a Buddhist center will be established on quote "holy" ground.
They call this, and I quote, "exciting and extraordinary", claiming that the spiritual quest of Buddhism mirrors our own. IT DOES NOT!!! I mean no disrespect to Buddhist people here, even though I know how this will sound, but Buddhism as a belief is blasphemous lies set forth by the adversary, deceptive, denying the truth that he's always trying to hide. The only difference is, Buddhism doesn't look as bad to unfocused eyes because it teaches some nice values.
The statement suggests that they fully embrace the fact that Buddhists will own the quote "holy" property, and have no intent to do anything about it. This always looks like love to unfocused eyes, because you're "being respectful" by being "tolerant" and not pushing your views which they clearly do not want to hear. This is not love. True love is spreading the word of God, true love is prohibiting other beliefs from spreading whenever possible, because God is truth, Christ is our savior, and Hell as bad as it sounds awaits anyone who doesn't see those truths. Avoiding the truth is lying, a principle which almost anybody recognizes, and by being silent, people are allowing the lost souls to go to Hell. That doesn't sound very much like love to me. Don't be ashamed to spread the word! It's like when your parents took something harmful away from you as a child. You wanted it, but it would have hurt you. Out of love, parents take sharp, harmful things away so that their children will be safe and happy. We are to do likewise with our friends, with others in this world. They want something else, but it WILL hurt them. Our duty is to spread the word so that they can be safe in God's love. This sounds like hatred, but it IS NOT. It's love, it's concern for our neighbors, it's hope that others can have the grace of God in their lives, too. This isn't hatred. It's love.
May God bless you all according to His perfect will. May God help our local group of churches. They are severely misled as it is. Maybe they will see it and repent, just as I did. God's will be done. In Jesus' name. Amen.
The statement ends with a prayer from a reverend from many years ago who wanted the property to bring forth good fruit for the kingdom of God. You can't imagine how sad reading that makes me.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Let's Debunk Things the Pope Says, Part 1
The pope (the human who masquerades as the leader of God's and Jesus' church) is a blasphemous heretic, just like the one(s) before him. I am so outraged by the things I have found that he's said and done, just this current pope, let's take a quick minute to debunk them. I plan to make several posts like this. This will just be one of them.
"God is not a magician, He is the Creator”
LIES. See how it's worded, though: grammatically speaking, this is not a lie -- God is not a "magician", since that's technically occultism. However, the context was pertaining to God's (and the church's) ability to do things beyond human reason, which most people today simply call "magic". And this is a LIE. God can do anything whenever He wants. His power is not "magical", but it has the same level of power as "magic", and in fact exceeds that level, too. This quote from Francis is a lie that undermines the power of the Heavenly Father.
Pope Francis has ordered a group of theologians and lawyers to open up methods for Catholics to obtain divorces more easily.
What does our Lord and savior Jesus Christ say about that?
Matthew 19: 3-9
Some Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him and asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?” And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give her a certificate of divorce and send her away?” He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
The pontiff also asked people to reflect on how they interact with their guardian angel. He inquired if people not only listen to their inner voice, but actually acknowledge its presence. Are individuals asking their guardian angels for advice, protection, or communicating with that inner voice on a daily basis?
The pope encourages people to speak to "guardian angels".
Can you think of any beings pertaining to angels, who are not God, but are still always trying to get us to follow some way through an inner voice? If you said "the adversary", you're right! The Bible does not tell us to do this, though angels have of course been known to intercede in our lives sometimes at the command of God. This may seem like an innocent statement from the pope, but I can tell you from experience this will 99% almost definitely lead to bad things instead of good ones and open demonic forces into your life. Most people will not be able to differentiate angelic and demonic forces in their minds - I know I couldn't!! And if that weren't bad enough, this is basically a distraction from the power of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit in our lives anyway. We shouldn't need other beings to watch over us, and if they do, it's at the command of God anyway. The Holy Trinity is sufficient for us.
Oh yeah, and while I'm finding things, here's one more. Please note: pope Francis did not say this, but pope John Paul II did:
The Church knows that the issue of morality is one which deeply touches every person; it involves all people, even those who do not know Christ and his Gospel or God himself. She [the Catholic church] knows that it is precisely on the path of the moral life that the way of salvation is open to all.
A moral life, eh? Even for unbelievers? Let's see what Jesus says about that:
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."
Salvation most definitely is available to everyone, but they must accept that Jesus is their savior.
By the way, if God is real, then a moral life would automatically include believing in Him and spreading His word, because otherwise would be lying, which is wrong. And please do not try to twist around the pope's words to suggest that that's what he was saying all along. He clearly was not.
These are the words from people who "take the place of Jesus Christ on Earth." (the New York chatechism.) Is that what they are doing? Are the words I quoted from these popes "Christian" statements? No.
God bless you all. May you all see God's perfect truth according to His will, in Jesus' name, amen. And may He help the vatican before it's too late, according to His will, amen... They are in desperate need of spiritual help from the Lord.
"God is not a magician, He is the Creator”
LIES. See how it's worded, though: grammatically speaking, this is not a lie -- God is not a "magician", since that's technically occultism. However, the context was pertaining to God's (and the church's) ability to do things beyond human reason, which most people today simply call "magic". And this is a LIE. God can do anything whenever He wants. His power is not "magical", but it has the same level of power as "magic", and in fact exceeds that level, too. This quote from Francis is a lie that undermines the power of the Heavenly Father.
Pope Francis has ordered a group of theologians and lawyers to open up methods for Catholics to obtain divorces more easily.
What does our Lord and savior Jesus Christ say about that?
Matthew 19: 3-9
Some Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him and asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?” And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give her a certificate of divorce and send her away?” He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
The pontiff also asked people to reflect on how they interact with their guardian angel. He inquired if people not only listen to their inner voice, but actually acknowledge its presence. Are individuals asking their guardian angels for advice, protection, or communicating with that inner voice on a daily basis?
The pope encourages people to speak to "guardian angels".
Can you think of any beings pertaining to angels, who are not God, but are still always trying to get us to follow some way through an inner voice? If you said "the adversary", you're right! The Bible does not tell us to do this, though angels have of course been known to intercede in our lives sometimes at the command of God. This may seem like an innocent statement from the pope, but I can tell you from experience this will 99% almost definitely lead to bad things instead of good ones and open demonic forces into your life. Most people will not be able to differentiate angelic and demonic forces in their minds - I know I couldn't!! And if that weren't bad enough, this is basically a distraction from the power of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit in our lives anyway. We shouldn't need other beings to watch over us, and if they do, it's at the command of God anyway. The Holy Trinity is sufficient for us.
Oh yeah, and while I'm finding things, here's one more. Please note: pope Francis did not say this, but pope John Paul II did:
The Church knows that the issue of morality is one which deeply touches every person; it involves all people, even those who do not know Christ and his Gospel or God himself. She [the Catholic church] knows that it is precisely on the path of the moral life that the way of salvation is open to all.
A moral life, eh? Even for unbelievers? Let's see what Jesus says about that:
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."
Salvation most definitely is available to everyone, but they must accept that Jesus is their savior.
By the way, if God is real, then a moral life would automatically include believing in Him and spreading His word, because otherwise would be lying, which is wrong. And please do not try to twist around the pope's words to suggest that that's what he was saying all along. He clearly was not.
These are the words from people who "take the place of Jesus Christ on Earth." (the New York chatechism.) Is that what they are doing? Are the words I quoted from these popes "Christian" statements? No.
God bless you all. May you all see God's perfect truth according to His will, in Jesus' name, amen. And may He help the vatican before it's too late, according to His will, amen... They are in desperate need of spiritual help from the Lord.
Friday, October 3, 2014
Catholicism: As Usual, the devil is in the Details
Catholicism is a form of "Christianity" that follows the basic principles of the faith, but then twists around other things. See, what Catholicism does is formulate its own ideas, and then uses the bare minimum of Biblical sources required to make the idea "not totally impossible", and then makes those ideas into core principles of the religion.
Can you think of any other belief systems that have some similarities to Christianity but then change things to fit a specific interpretation?
Anyway, as with the "Negativity in the Media" post, I plan to start this one now, publish it, and then add things as time goes on.
Claim #1: Praying to saints and Mary. I recommend you read this, even though I didn't write it. Anyway, Catholics claim they do not pray to the saints for help - rather, they "pray"/ask the saints to pray for them, on their behalf sort of. This is absolutely true most of the time. The problem is, this is not Scripturally sound. Catholics use verses about Christians praying in general, to refer to the saints and Mary praying for us. That's misleading, because even though they are Christians, that's nothing more than distracting from the main point: the saints and Mary cannot hear us to begin with. There are verses in Revelation that mention saints, and that mention prayers; nowhere does it directly state that the saints hear our specific prayers and that these prayers are the ones that we try to send them. Their point isn't even suggested by this verse unless you're specifically looking for it. This is all over Catholic apology.
Catholics also believe that contacting dead saints is different from "contacting the dead" as occult people do ("contacting the dead" being STRICTLY forbidden by Scripture). The saints and Mary cannot hear our prayers, so who does? As someone who was a victim of occult forces, I can tell you with 100% certainty who hears our prayers (the ones which do not go to God in Three Persons the Blessed Trinity) - familiar spirits, aka demons. They will hear your prayers, they may even try to answer a couple to make themselves look legit. This is not the work of saints! The adversary and his forces do this a lot: they may do some things that look good on the surface, but are ultimately evil. If they answer you, you might get the thing you want, but it's only to trick you into praying to the dead more often, which is spiritually poisonous and outweighs any benefits from your prayer. Back when I used to communicate with spirits that were not part of the Holy Trinity, I often got answers, too, and they were always ultimately misleading, usually giving me what I asked, but in a way that led me further from the truth of God's word, further from my relationship with God. If you don't have a relationship with God, I cannot stress enough how much you *need* one. Not with other spirits, not with demons, with God. I didn't think I needed one this close, either, but I most certainly do. Please seriously consider it, God will truly hear your prayers. Saints will not, and Mary will not. Contacting them is the same as contacting "the dead", because you are contacting the same beings. Even if you do not intend to.
As the link above also explains, the Bible never tells us to pray to people in Heaven anyway, and there is no need for this anyway since Jesus is already our sole mediator. There is very, very minimal evidence for this practice in the Bible, and even what's provided is a major stretch. Clearly, even if this were true (which it isn't!!) it's not very important to God, and certainly not intended to be a widespread practice for all Christians or a main facet of a church.
Claim #2: Confession to a priest. Nowhere mentioned in Scripture, but it's one of the main points of Catholicism. Catholics look at priests in a very high regard, even though they're human beings like the rest of us. The Bible does mention confession, and does not state in plain words outright that this is forbidden, but I point again to the fact that Christ is our only mediator now, and therefore priests are not needed for our forgiveness. We are to confess our sins directly to God, and through salvation through Jesus Christ, we will be forgiven our trespasses against God, by God. Not by a human priest. This whole idea wouldn't be here unless someone came up with it and then specifically went looking for Bible verses to defend it. Just confess to God! What can a priest who did not commit your (specific) sins do, that you can't do yourself in God's presence? By this logic, I could take... let's do a random verse. Psalm 148:9 - "Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars", and use this to defend an idea that cedars must have some kind of divine significance, they're even mentioned somewhere in the Bible! That's not true of course, but seriously, it has as much Scriptural basis.
Claim #3: Purgatory. I like hearing myself talk, so let's look at what I just said above: "This whole idea wouldn't be here unless someone came up with it and then specifically went looking for Bible verses to defend it." There are a few sections (like three in the whole Bible) that could be construed in some sense to suggest the basic concept of Purgatory, but again, NONE of them state it outright, none of them even strongly suggest it! It's all dependent on interpretation, and even that relies on interpretation from like three brief side-suggestions in the entire Bible. If, by some stretch of the imagination, Purgatory really does exist, God must really want to hide it from us, considering the only basis for it is loose suggestions mostly taken out of context. God must also not think of it as very important to our faith journey, since He never even said the name of it, or even actually stated directly that it existed. I think we can safely say that Purgatory does not exist.
Besides that, Jesus died for all of our sins already, so Purgatory is unnecessary anyway. See 1 John 2:2 "He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins--and not only our sins but the sins of all the world."
Claim #4: Hail Mary. Please refer to Claim #1 above. Also, read this. This isn't even slightly suggested by Scripture, it's actually contradictory to it, and if you do it, you should stop right now. I don't say this, or anything in this post, out of hostility towards Catholics, I say it out of hostility towards, if anything, the teachings and practices themselves. I say it out of LOVE towards Catholics, fellow believers who seek to follow the word of our Heavenly Father, but have been gravely misled. This one, the Hail Mary, is particularly bad because it does not just rely on loose interpretations, it literally contradicts the Bible.
"Claim" #5 Oh yeah, a quick side-note, Catholics like to use the term "Father". Jesus expressly forbade anyone from calling people "Father" in Matthew 23:9. They point out that we call our dads "father". Jesus himself says, "Honor your father and mother." So apparently it's (grammatically) okay in that sense, true. Jesus used it in that sense himself.
Now, does Jesus say that it's okay to call a priest "Father"?
Here, have some more, taken from this site:
No comments. Just think about that for a minute, and decide if the God who sent us Jesus Christ, and spoke the words He did according to the Holy Bible is truly inspiring those responsible for the ideas I just presented above.
Update 2016: I see there's some debate about the New York Catholic Catechism. So here's a quote from something that is undoubtedly approved by the Vatican: For the Son of God became man so that we might become God.
I think that's all for right now. I'll add more later. May God bless all who read this and guide them to the truth according to His perfect will. May they all see the love in this post, and not hateful disagreement. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Can you think of any other belief systems that have some similarities to Christianity but then change things to fit a specific interpretation?
Anyway, as with the "Negativity in the Media" post, I plan to start this one now, publish it, and then add things as time goes on.
Claim #1: Praying to saints and Mary. I recommend you read this, even though I didn't write it. Anyway, Catholics claim they do not pray to the saints for help - rather, they "pray"/ask the saints to pray for them, on their behalf sort of. This is absolutely true most of the time. The problem is, this is not Scripturally sound. Catholics use verses about Christians praying in general, to refer to the saints and Mary praying for us. That's misleading, because even though they are Christians, that's nothing more than distracting from the main point: the saints and Mary cannot hear us to begin with. There are verses in Revelation that mention saints, and that mention prayers; nowhere does it directly state that the saints hear our specific prayers and that these prayers are the ones that we try to send them. Their point isn't even suggested by this verse unless you're specifically looking for it. This is all over Catholic apology.
Catholics also believe that contacting dead saints is different from "contacting the dead" as occult people do ("contacting the dead" being STRICTLY forbidden by Scripture). The saints and Mary cannot hear our prayers, so who does? As someone who was a victim of occult forces, I can tell you with 100% certainty who hears our prayers (the ones which do not go to God in Three Persons the Blessed Trinity) - familiar spirits, aka demons. They will hear your prayers, they may even try to answer a couple to make themselves look legit. This is not the work of saints! The adversary and his forces do this a lot: they may do some things that look good on the surface, but are ultimately evil. If they answer you, you might get the thing you want, but it's only to trick you into praying to the dead more often, which is spiritually poisonous and outweighs any benefits from your prayer. Back when I used to communicate with spirits that were not part of the Holy Trinity, I often got answers, too, and they were always ultimately misleading, usually giving me what I asked, but in a way that led me further from the truth of God's word, further from my relationship with God. If you don't have a relationship with God, I cannot stress enough how much you *need* one. Not with other spirits, not with demons, with God. I didn't think I needed one this close, either, but I most certainly do. Please seriously consider it, God will truly hear your prayers. Saints will not, and Mary will not. Contacting them is the same as contacting "the dead", because you are contacting the same beings. Even if you do not intend to.
As the link above also explains, the Bible never tells us to pray to people in Heaven anyway, and there is no need for this anyway since Jesus is already our sole mediator. There is very, very minimal evidence for this practice in the Bible, and even what's provided is a major stretch. Clearly, even if this were true (which it isn't!!) it's not very important to God, and certainly not intended to be a widespread practice for all Christians or a main facet of a church.
Claim #2: Confession to a priest. Nowhere mentioned in Scripture, but it's one of the main points of Catholicism. Catholics look at priests in a very high regard, even though they're human beings like the rest of us. The Bible does mention confession, and does not state in plain words outright that this is forbidden, but I point again to the fact that Christ is our only mediator now, and therefore priests are not needed for our forgiveness. We are to confess our sins directly to God, and through salvation through Jesus Christ, we will be forgiven our trespasses against God, by God. Not by a human priest. This whole idea wouldn't be here unless someone came up with it and then specifically went looking for Bible verses to defend it. Just confess to God! What can a priest who did not commit your (specific) sins do, that you can't do yourself in God's presence? By this logic, I could take... let's do a random verse. Psalm 148:9 - "Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars", and use this to defend an idea that cedars must have some kind of divine significance, they're even mentioned somewhere in the Bible! That's not true of course, but seriously, it has as much Scriptural basis.
Claim #3: Purgatory. I like hearing myself talk, so let's look at what I just said above: "This whole idea wouldn't be here unless someone came up with it and then specifically went looking for Bible verses to defend it." There are a few sections (like three in the whole Bible) that could be construed in some sense to suggest the basic concept of Purgatory, but again, NONE of them state it outright, none of them even strongly suggest it! It's all dependent on interpretation, and even that relies on interpretation from like three brief side-suggestions in the entire Bible. If, by some stretch of the imagination, Purgatory really does exist, God must really want to hide it from us, considering the only basis for it is loose suggestions mostly taken out of context. God must also not think of it as very important to our faith journey, since He never even said the name of it, or even actually stated directly that it existed. I think we can safely say that Purgatory does not exist.
Besides that, Jesus died for all of our sins already, so Purgatory is unnecessary anyway. See 1 John 2:2 "He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins--and not only our sins but the sins of all the world."
Claim #4: Hail Mary. Please refer to Claim #1 above. Also, read this. This isn't even slightly suggested by Scripture, it's actually contradictory to it, and if you do it, you should stop right now. I don't say this, or anything in this post, out of hostility towards Catholics, I say it out of hostility towards, if anything, the teachings and practices themselves. I say it out of LOVE towards Catholics, fellow believers who seek to follow the word of our Heavenly Father, but have been gravely misled. This one, the Hail Mary, is particularly bad because it does not just rely on loose interpretations, it literally contradicts the Bible.
"Claim" #5 Oh yeah, a quick side-note, Catholics like to use the term "Father". Jesus expressly forbade anyone from calling people "Father" in Matthew 23:9. They point out that we call our dads "father". Jesus himself says, "Honor your father and mother." So apparently it's (grammatically) okay in that sense, true. Jesus used it in that sense himself.
Now, does Jesus say that it's okay to call a priest "Father"?
Here, have some more, taken from this site:
- The New York Catholic Catechism, under: Pope, says, "The Pope takes the place of Jesus Christ on earth...by divine right the pope has supreme and full power in faith and morals over each and every pastor and his flock. He is the true Vicar of Christ, the head of the entire church, the father and teacher of all Christians He is the infallible ruler, the founder of dogmas, the author of and the judge of councils; the universal ruler of truth, the arbiter of the world, the supreme judge of heaven and earth, the judge of all, being judged by one, God himself on earth."
- In his encyclical, "The Reunion of Christendom" (1885), Pope Leo XIII stated that the pope holds "upon this earth the place of God Almighty."
- The Council of Trent declared: "Sitting in that chair in which Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, sat to the close of life, the Catholic Church recognizes in his person the most exalted degree of dignity, and the full jurisdiction not based on constitutions, but emanating from no less authority than from God Himself. As the Successor of St. Peter and the true and legitimate Vicar of Jesus Christ, he therefore, presides over the Universal Church, the Father and Governor of all the faithful, of Bishops, also and of all other prelates, be their station, rant, or power, what they may be."
- The Catholic book, "My Catholic Faith" which is based on the Baltimore Catechism, on page 251, says, "The Pope can make and unmake laws for the entire Church; his authority is supreme and unquestioned. Every bishop, every priest, every member of the Church is subject to him."
No comments. Just think about that for a minute, and decide if the God who sent us Jesus Christ, and spoke the words He did according to the Holy Bible is truly inspiring those responsible for the ideas I just presented above.
Update 2016: I see there's some debate about the New York Catholic Catechism. So here's a quote from something that is undoubtedly approved by the Vatican: For the Son of God became man so that we might become God.
I think that's all for right now. I'll add more later. May God bless all who read this and guide them to the truth according to His perfect will. May they all see the love in this post, and not hateful disagreement. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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