God’s ways often aren’t our ways or the way we would think of doing things. In the book of Judges, chapter 17, there is a story about a man named Micah. He stole money from his mother, made idols, and consecrated priests himself, even though he had no Godly authority to do that and only Aaron’s descendants were supposed to be priests. The book repeats elsewhere as this chapter says, “in those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what he thought best” (v. 6). This calls to mind the verse that “there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12). This still applies to today, especially now in the age of “moral relativism” of “what’s true or right for me may not be true or right for you.” I can see why the world might think that, but Christians shouldn’t be influenced by that idea when the Bible says the complete opposite of that. You can’t pick and choose and just ignore the verses that you think “aren’t a good fit” for your own man-made philosophies and imaginings.
Yet, what do we learn from history? People are stubborn and set in their ways. Jewish leaders didn’t recognize their Messiah. The “stiff-necked” Israelites kept turning away from God throughout the book of Exodus and the book of Kings. Even after the golden calf incident, the Israelites made Moses’ bronze serpent staff into an idol and burned incense to it (2 Kings 18:4). They took the good thing (an an image of a serpent for the Israelites to look at and be healed from snake bites in the desert – that’s another story) and turned it into an idol, which God was happy Hezekiah destroyed. In the book of Jeremiah, we see that people are worshiping the queen of heaven making her cakes (chapter 7), but after being warned by the prophet they still don’t listen and say “we will continue doing what we had proposed; we will burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out libations to her, as we and our fathers, our kings, and princes have done” (Jeremiah 45:17). Words that ironically are still used today when people say they’ll keep doing something because they’ve always done it that way. It can be compared to the Marian apparitions who have also claimed the title “queen of heaven” and the Catholics that don’t question it or even consider these passages. I was personally ignorant of them. I don’t know how many are, but I don’t think these things are a coincidence. Look into it and compare what the apparitions say to what the Bible says. The Bible says that even Satan can appear disguised as an angel of light. If you still believe in the Marian apparitions, not the man-made ones but the ones that seem to have authentic miracles associated with them, think about this. Could God allow a fake apparition and if so, why would He? Because He is testing us and He tells us this. Time and again, God and His word remain the same. If you believe God doesn’t change, why think that He changed His mind about the following? He is a jealous God, does not want us to have idols, wants us to love him with all our hearts, soul and mind... All of these things are stated within Scripture more than once, so why would He need to add to his plan of salvation when Jesus said “it is finished?” Don’t add to God’s commandments. “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ” (Colossians 2:8). But the miracles must be from God, right? No. Deuteronomy chapter 13 says that “If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer who promises you a sign or wonder, urging you to follow other gods, whom you have not known, and to serve them: even though the sign or wonder he has foretold you comes to pass, pay no attention to the words of that prophet or dreamer, for the Lord, your God, is testing you to learn whether you really love him with all your heart and with all your soul. The Lord, your God, shall you follow and him shall you fear; his commandment shall you observe, and his voice shall you heed, serving him and holding fast to him alone” (v. 2-5). Don’t do what you want or feel is right; it could lead to death. Paul said “though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed (Galatians 1:8). Do what God says is right, which is to hold fast to him alone and love Him. Pray to God, come to the Father, who has never sent us to anyone but Himself. God says, “I will not give my glory to another” (Isaiah 42:8). Why would He share credit with a created being like Mary? Pope John Paul II credited Mary for saving his life, not God. Our intercessor is the Holy Spirit and Jesus also intercedes with the Father for us. “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:5-6). If Mary is interceding for us, it’s because she’s up there praying in general but not because she’s listening to individual prayer requests. She’s not a goddess, so don’t give the blessed mother of Jesus god-like qualities. Even when she was alive, the one time a woman said “blessed is the womb that carried you,” Jesus said, “rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it” (Luke 11:27-28). Even if you claim not to worship Mary, great, but how many other people break God’s commandments and “bow down” (Exodus 20:5) or kiss statues that can’t see or hear? If you think these things don’t sound that bad, they’re terrible sins in God’s eyes and should therefore be taken seriously by us. In one instance when God is punishing idolatry (yet again, will we never learn?), He says He’ll leave alive “all those who have not knelt to Baal or kissed him” (1 Kings 19:18). So anyone who didn’t kneel, bow, or kiss the false idol Baal. A physical representation of a “god” that doesn’t exist. A STATUE. Again, I didn’t know of passages like this. How many Catholics are in the same boat? Do you know? I’m trying to tell/warn you, not accuse you nor trying to win an argument. I had to investigate these things for myself and I hope you will one day do the same before it’s too late. And don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. The answer isn’t no religion, but being true followers of Christ. Look past all the different denominations and know that the true Christian body is one in Christ. And no, that is not an endorsement of ecumenism. The Bible says to come out of her my people, lest you be partakers of her sins (Revelation 18:4). So no, we can’t join you, but we’ll pray for you to come out of the false man-made system (eventually in the end times a one-world-antichrist religion) and into God’s waiting, loving arms. If you got to the end of this without wanting to shoot the messenger, then, like the true Mary, I hope you’ll put these things away in your heart even if you don’t currently understand. Only God can make things clear to you through his Spirit and Word. God has been testing us this whole time, since the fall, to see whether we really love him. Look at what He asked Abraham to do, to kill his one and only son, and Abraham had such faith in God that he didn’t even hesitate! Thankfully for all of us, it was just a test. God gave us commands to follow, not to ignore and do as we please. I didn’t know about many of these passages, and others I just never thought of connecting because I didn’t really read my Bible outside of church before. After I started to read and study it, the Holy Spirit can’t help but bring things to your mind and helps you connect the dots. God opens our eyes with His word. Start reading and maybe one day you too shall see. For now, this is not an attack but a letter in love to all my Catholic family and friends. I used to be where you are. It was only when I got interested in apologetics and knowing my faith that I found the Bible stands in opposition to many of the practices taught by Rome. Mary isn’t the only issue I studied, and I’m not saying I’m an expert or anything, but let’s leave it at that for now. Please look into it and don’t be like the people in Jeremiah. God is patiently waiting. He IS enough. Comments are closed.
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July 2020
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