The truth.
The followers of Christ - from Jesus all the way until today will be reviled for their beliefs. Many, many followers of Christ have been put to death for daring to preach truth. Today, right now in some countries, Christians are being put to death for daring to believe in Christ and giving witness to their belief in Christ. The truth is not popular and has never been popular, it is found on the very narrow path, not the broad path where many will be led to, deceived.
This is truth-
Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
Rev 1:2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Do you read and hear and keep the words of prophecy? Do you even know them at all in the least? It's too easy to allow ourselves to be led astray by pleasing, soothing words. It's too easy to just take bits and pieces of God's truth and call it a day. God would have us know Him and be known by Him and we do this through prayer, through study- constantly learning through His word, through His truth all through the Holy Spirit.
Prophecy's truth is unveiled in history. We have a lot of history behind us to look to. May God guide us through it all to see His amazing love, Jesus Christ gave us these books of prophecy to bless us, may we be blessed!
******* Continuing our PROPHECY study-- Please GO back and read the study from the beginning to gain full understanding of where we are if you haven't been following this study daily. Thank you :) God bless you! ******
Dan 11:36 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
Dan 11:37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
Dan 11:38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
Dan 11:39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.
The lure of power. Possessing power is so enticing. With power comes a certain sense of protection, superiority, invincibility. How often do things begin with seemingly good intentions only to end up falling apart? Getting things in order, creating a system so that there isn't chaos is a perfectly good idea but when that order ends up with ONE person in charge, inevitably that power, that person is easily corrupted by the position.
When Jesus came to earth and began His ministry years later what was one of the first things He did after facing temptation in the wilderness? He gathered His Apostles to Him. Note the plural! Jesus did NOT gather one man to Him, one Apostle. Could He have gathered one? Yes. Jesus could have taken on a single Apostle. Jesus could have trained one man to carry on His work after He was gone. Jesus could have trained that single man all the while allowing for many, many disciples- yes?
How perfect it would have been to leave no doubt as to who was to lead, about how Jesus wanted things set up. That's not what Jesus did though. Jesus gathered twelve Apostles, twelve! Twelve to carry on, because even after Judas' betrayal and death, another was appointed to that place of the twelve.
Twelve to be in a position to carry the gospel to the world as Jesus would have it go. Then we have Saul renamed Paul, who was chosen by God as well to carry on His message. God didn't ever want ONE man in charge of things, not ever! Jesus made this clear when He distinctly answered the Apostles question about which of them was the greatest.
There was to be NO one Apostle placed above another! People have taken various verses of the Bible and claimed this is where this certain disciple was placed above another, but that would be so contradictory to ALL that Jesus previously taught and Jesus would not contradict Himself that way!
Jesus was forever and always to be the HEAD of the body, and then from there on out there would be two shoulders, two arms, two hands, two legs, two feet…there would be MANY parts of the body that would contribute to carrying on His work. For man to set up their OWN plan is contrary to the Savior's wishes.
Yet the papacy did just that, they created a system that eventually had a single MAN standing supreme, the voice of God on earth. So contrary this is to the word of God it's hard to believe that so many millions are caught up in this lie.
Was this the only lie of the papacy? Not by a long shot.
'Celibacy for priests is a discipline in the Latin Catholic Church, not a doctrine: in other words, a church regulation, but not an integral part of Church teaching. It is based upon the life of Christ and his celibate way of life. However the first pope, St. Peter, as well as many subsequent popes, bishops, and priests during the church's first 270 years were in fact married men, and often fathers. The practice of clerical continence, along with a prohibition of marriage by men once they were ordained a deacon, priest or bishop, is traceable from the time of the Council of Elvira. This law was reinforced in the Directa Decretal (385) and at the Council of Carthage in 390. The tradition of clerical continence developed into a practice of clerical celibacy (ordaining only unmarried men) from the 11th century onward among Latin Rite Catholics and became a formal part of canon law in 1917. This law of clerical celibacy does not apply to Eastern Catholics. Until recently, the Eastern Catholic bishops of North America would generally ordain only unmarried men, for fear that married priests would create scandal. Since Vatican II's call for the restoration of Eastern Catholic traditions, a number of bishops have returned to the traditional practice of ordaining married men to the presbyterate. Bishops are still celibate and normally chosen from the ranks of monks.'
'Because the rule of clerical celibacy is a law and not a doctrine, exceptions can be made, and it can, in principle, be changed at any time by the Pope. Nonetheless, both the present Pope, Benedict XVI, and his predecessor, spoke clearly of their understanding that the traditional practice is unlikely to change.'
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This TRADITIONAL practice is something that has been greatly perverted by the papacy. What the Word of God tells us is a good thing but not a necessity, they took and made it a necessity and thereby causing untold grief. But once again this is just another sign of the power they claim to have, a power greater than God's.
Another great lie perpetuated by the papacy is the changing of God's law. Changing the seventh day Sabbath to the first day of the week. The sheer audacity of any man to think they can change God's law is unbelievable, yet all the proof is there.
And what about Jesus' mother, Mary? There is NO where in our Bibles that tells us we are to worship her, NO where does the Bible say that she was sinless herself, NO WHERE! Mary was given NO power whatsoever. Yet where does the papacy place Mary? Right up there to be worshipped! Who created these beliefs- man! Teaching for doctrine the commandments of men!
Mat_15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
'There is significant diversity in the Marian beliefs and devotional practices of major Christian traditions. The Catholic Church has a number of Marian dogmas, such as the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption. Catholics refer to her as Our Lady and venerate her as the Queen of Heaven and Mother of the Church; most Protestants do not share these beliefs.[8][9]'
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Queen of Heaven! Entirely UNBIBLICAL! Nowhere to be found in the BIBLE!
'The Immaculate Conception of Mary is the conception (the being conceived) of the Virgin Mary without, according to the Roman Catholic Church, any stain (in Latin, macula or labes, the second of these two synonymous words being the one used in the formal definition)[1] of original sin.[2] It is one of the four dogmatas in Roman Catholic Mariology. Under this aspect Mary is sometimes called the Immaculata (the Immaculate One), particularly in artistic contexts.[3]
The proclaimed Roman Catholic dogma states "that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin".[1] Being always free from original sin, she was from the start filled with the sanctifying grace that would normally come with baptism after birth.'
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'Roman Catholic Mariology is theology concerned with the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ and developed by the Catholic Church. "The Blessed Virgin, because she is the Mother of God, is believed to hold a certain infinite dignity from the infinite good which is God."[1][2] Theologically, Roman Catholic Mariology deals with not only her life but also with veneration of her in daily life, prayer, hymns, art (where she has been a favorite topic), music, and architecture; in modern and ancient Christianity throughout the ages.[3][4][5]
The development of Roman Catholic Mariology is ongoing. It continues to be shaped not only by papal encyclicals but also by the interplay of forces ranging from sensus fidelium, to the writings of the saints, to the construction of major Marian churches at the sites of Marian apparitions. In some cases, sensus fidelium has influenced Marian papal decisions, providing Mariology with a "theology of the people" component that distinguishes it from other parts of formal theology.
In terms of popular following, membership in Roman Catholic Marian Movements and Societies has grown significantly in the 20th century. This has continued to be matched by support from the Holy See, with Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) stating: "It is necessary to go back to Mary, if we want to return to the truth about Jesus Christ".[6] The ongoing development of Mariology continued in the 20th century, e.g. in his Angelus address in September 1985 Pope John Paul II coined the term The Alliance of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, and in 1986 addressed the international conference on that topic held at Fátima, Portugal.[7][8][9]'
'Assumption of Mary
Mary was assumed into heaven with body and soul (de fide). Mary, the ever virgin, mother of God was free of original sin. The Immaculate Conception is one basis for the 1950 dogma. Another was the century old Church-wide veneration of the Virgin Mary as being assumed into heaven, which Pope Pius XII referred to in Deiparae Virginis Mariae and reported in Munificentissimus Deus.[52] Although the Assumption was only recently defined as dogma, accounts of the bodily assumption of Mary into heaven have circulated since at least the 5th century. The Catholic Church itself interprets chapter 12 of the Book of Revelation as referring to it. The earliest assumption narrative is the so-called Liber Requiei Mariae (The Book of Mary's Repose), a narrative which survives intact only in an Ethiopic translation. (Stephen J. Shoemaker, Ancient Traditions of the Virgin Mary's Dormition and Assumption] Oxford University Press, 2002, 2006). Probably composed by the 4th century, this early Christian apocryphal narrative may be as early as the 3rd century. Also quite early are the very different traditions of the "Six Books" Dormition narratives. The earliest versions of this apocryphon are preserved by several Syriac manuscripts of the 5th and 6th centuries, although the text itself probably belongs to the 4th century. Later apocrypha based on these earlier texts include the De Obitu S. Dominae, attributed to St. John, a work probably from around the turn of the 6th century that is a summary of the "Six Books" narrative. The story also appears in De Transitu Virginis, a late 5th century work ascribed to St. Melito of Sardis that presents a theologically redacted summary of the traditions in the Liber Requiei Mariae. The Transitus Mariae tells the story of the apostles being transported by white clouds to the death-bed of Mary, each from the town where he was preaching at the hour. The Decretum Gelasianum in the 490s declared some transitus Mariae literature as apocryphal.
An Armenian letter attributed to Dionysus the Areopagite also mentions the event, although this is a much later work, written sometime after the 6th century. Other saints also describe it, notably St Gregory of Tours, St John Damascene, and St Modestus of Jerusalem.
Theological debate about the Assumption continued until 1950 when, in the Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus, it was defined as definitive doctrine by Pope Pius XII:
We pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory."[53][54]
Since the 1870 solemn declaration of Papal Infallibility by Vatican I in 1870, this declaration by Pius XII has been the only ex cathedra use of Papal Infallibility. While Pope Pius XII deliberately left open the question of whether Mary died before her Assumption, the more common teaching of the early Fathers is that she did.[55][56]'
Lies!
'Mary as Mediatrix
Main article: Mediatrix
In Catholic teachings, Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and man.[61] He alone reconciled through his death on the Cross creator and creation. But this does not exclude a secondary mediating role for Mary, preparatory, supportive, in the view of several prominent, but not all Catholics. The teaching that Mary intercedes for all believers and especially those who request her intercession through prayer has been held in the Church since early times, for example by Ephraim, the Syrian “after the mediater a mediatrix for the whole world [62] Intercession is something that may be done by all the heavenly saints, but Mary is seen as having the greatest intercessionary power. The earliest surviving recorded prayer to Mary is the Sub tuum praesidium, written in Greek.[63]
Mary has increasingly been seen as a principal dispenser of God's graces and Advocate for the people of God and is mentioned as such in several official Church documents. Pope Pius IX used the title in Ineffabilis Deus. In the first of his so called Rosary encyclicals, Supremi Apostolatus (1883), Pope Leo XIII calls Our Lady the guardian of our peace and the dispensatrix of heavenly graces. The following year, 1884, his encyclical Superiore Anno speaks of the prayers presented to God through her whom He has chosen to be the dispenser of all heavenly graces. Pope Pius X employed this title in Ad Diem Illud in 1904, Pope Benedict XV introduced it into the Marian liturgy when he created the Marian feast of The Mary, Mediatrix of all Graces in 1921, In his 1954 encyclical Ad caeli reginam, Pope Pius XII calls Mary the Mediatrix of peace.[64] The theological discussion ongoing, neither Pius XII nor his successors moved to a closure of this issue.'
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More lies!
'In several Marian teachings, such as the Immaculate Conception, the "theology of the people", the profound and century-old sense of the faithful took precedence over academic theology.[90] Identical arguments were made for the dogma of the Assumption by Pope Pius XII.[92] To some non-Catholics and even to some theologically oriented Catholics, like Karl Rahner, this sensus fidei has some problems.[93]
Nevertheless, popular Mariology has been a major driving force in the past 150 years. It led to the two infallible, ex cathedra dogmas: Immaculate Conception (1854) and Assumption (1950). Since the 1870 solemn declaration of Papal Infallibility by Vatican I, the 1950 declaration by Pius XII has been the first and only ex cathedra use of papal infallibility. Thus while the dogmatic definitions of the Assumption, took place only in the 20th century, the sensus fidelium was already being shaped in the Middle Ages, and by 1530, Antonio da Correggio had completed his contract for the elaborate scene of the Assumption in the Cathedral of Palermo.[94]'
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Such lies! Man's lies standing in place of God's truth! The papacy is rife with its lies against God's truth!
'In this sequence of events the nature of the medieval papacy is clearly seen. Excommunication of rulers, military campaigns enjoying papal support, rival popes reigning at the same time, the split between pope and emperor as a factor in European politics - all these become familiar themes of the Middle Ages.
The cumulative effect, centuries later, is a papacy of great wealth, vast power, considerable corruption and much reduced spiritual authority. Eventually these characteristics provoke the Reformation. But in the meantime the papacy has its period of greatest power, presiding over Europe's feuding factions and charging handsomely for the service. '
'The familiar image of a Renaissance pope begins a little later, with the election of Sixtus IV in 1471. His patronage of the arts is evident in the Sistine chapel and the Sistine choir, both named after him. But his lavish patronage goes hand in hand with a very worldly conduct of the Vatican's affairs. '
'In 1503, his first year in office, Julius launches the great scheme to rebuild St Peter's. In 1509 the pope invites Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and persuades Raphael to decorate three rooms in the Vatican. Christian Rome's greatest glories have been conceived within a space of six years.'
'In April 1506 Julius II and his architect, Bramante, are ready to lay the foundation stone of the new St Peter's. A commemorative medal is struck with the classical inscription Templi Petri Instauracio (Renewal of the Temple of Peter), showing a view of a great domed basilica with a classical portico.
In spirit - though not in detail - this design is similar to the church which is eventually completed in 1590, by which time Raphael and Michelangelo and several others have succeeded Bramante as official architect for the scheme.
Meanwhile the need for funds for the vast new project, together with the unscrupulous manner in which Renaissance popes are willing to raise them, provokes the great central crisis of Europe in the 16th century - the Reformation. '
'Germany provides a context in which materialism within the Roman Catholic church is offensively evident. Some of the principalities, which together make up the Holy Roman empire, are ruled by unscrupulous prelates living in the style of Renaissance princes. Foremost among them is Albert, archbishop of Mainz and one of the seven imperial electors.
By the age of twenty-four Albert holds a bishopric and a second archbishopric in addition to Mainz. Such plurality is against canon law. But the pope, Leo X, agrees to overlook the irregularity in return for a large donation to the building costs of the new St Peter's.
Both pope and archbishop are men of the world (the pope is a Medici). Leo makes it possible for Albert to recover his costs by granting him the concession for the sale of indulgences towards the building of St Peter's. Half the money for each indulgence is go to Rome; the other half will help to pay off Albert's debts (he has borrowed the money for the original donation from the Fuggers of Augsburg).
This secret arrangement might distress the faithful if they knew of it. But more immediately shocking to some is the behaviour of the friar Johann Tetzel, whom Albert employs to sell the indulgences.
Tetzel is a showman. When preaching to gullible crowds in German towns he goes far beyond the official doctrine of indulgences. He promises the immediate release of loved ones from the pain of Purgatory as soon as a purchase is made. He even has a catchy jingle to make the point: 'As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, The soul from Purgatory springs.' '
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True apostasy!
For more on this read this article- 'The Vatican Billions - Two Thousand Years of Wealth Accumulation From Caesar to the Space Age.' http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/vatican/vatican_billions.htm
Dan 11:36 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
Dan 11:37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
Dan 11:38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
Dan 11:39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.
This outlines the Papacy perfectly. Prophecy meets history in a perfect fit.
Anyone today who doesn't recognize the fact that the Papacy has a unique power all its own is totally deceived.
There is so much we are given for our own edification and so much that people would have us totally ignore.
If we don't bother ourselves with all this nonsense and just leave well enough alone the better for everyone concerned, right?
Just follow what man tells us and ignore completely what God says.
How many people are truly WATCHING today? We are told to watch and pray, but how many are really, really watching and praying? Watching means a whole lot more than simply existing. Watching means a lot more than letting someone else tell us what we are seeing. For us to be watching means we are actively looking, we are active. We need to watch in all things.
If history has unfolded prophecy before our eyes how can we close our eyes to it and pretend it's all false? How?
Yet millions do this, millions and millions would much rather close their eyes and be lulled with soothing words of the greatest deception.
It is my prayer that we are not among those who would rather be told smooth things- easy to accept. It is my prayer that we are among those who choose to delve deep for the truth hearing hard sayings but knowing them for being the real unadulterated truth! Being Christ's means traveling that NARROW path that few will find. If we discover ourselves upon a broad path where everything is going along nicely and we have millions of people with us- then we truly have to ask ourselves if we are upon that narrow path Jesus spoke of.
By His GRACE always!!!!! In His love! May His kingdom come! May HIS will be done always!
In His forgiveness, in His righteousness!
Amen.
The followers of Christ - from Jesus all the way until today will be reviled for their beliefs. Many, many followers of Christ have been put to death for daring to preach truth. Today, right now in some countries, Christians are being put to death for daring to believe in Christ and giving witness to their belief in Christ. The truth is not popular and has never been popular, it is found on the very narrow path, not the broad path where many will be led to, deceived.
This is truth-
Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
Rev 1:2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Do you read and hear and keep the words of prophecy? Do you even know them at all in the least? It's too easy to allow ourselves to be led astray by pleasing, soothing words. It's too easy to just take bits and pieces of God's truth and call it a day. God would have us know Him and be known by Him and we do this through prayer, through study- constantly learning through His word, through His truth all through the Holy Spirit.
Prophecy's truth is unveiled in history. We have a lot of history behind us to look to. May God guide us through it all to see His amazing love, Jesus Christ gave us these books of prophecy to bless us, may we be blessed!
******* Continuing our PROPHECY study-- Please GO back and read the study from the beginning to gain full understanding of where we are if you haven't been following this study daily. Thank you :) God bless you! ******
Dan 11:36 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
Dan 11:37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
Dan 11:38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
Dan 11:39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.
The lure of power. Possessing power is so enticing. With power comes a certain sense of protection, superiority, invincibility. How often do things begin with seemingly good intentions only to end up falling apart? Getting things in order, creating a system so that there isn't chaos is a perfectly good idea but when that order ends up with ONE person in charge, inevitably that power, that person is easily corrupted by the position.
When Jesus came to earth and began His ministry years later what was one of the first things He did after facing temptation in the wilderness? He gathered His Apostles to Him. Note the plural! Jesus did NOT gather one man to Him, one Apostle. Could He have gathered one? Yes. Jesus could have taken on a single Apostle. Jesus could have trained one man to carry on His work after He was gone. Jesus could have trained that single man all the while allowing for many, many disciples- yes?
How perfect it would have been to leave no doubt as to who was to lead, about how Jesus wanted things set up. That's not what Jesus did though. Jesus gathered twelve Apostles, twelve! Twelve to carry on, because even after Judas' betrayal and death, another was appointed to that place of the twelve.
Twelve to be in a position to carry the gospel to the world as Jesus would have it go. Then we have Saul renamed Paul, who was chosen by God as well to carry on His message. God didn't ever want ONE man in charge of things, not ever! Jesus made this clear when He distinctly answered the Apostles question about which of them was the greatest.
There was to be NO one Apostle placed above another! People have taken various verses of the Bible and claimed this is where this certain disciple was placed above another, but that would be so contradictory to ALL that Jesus previously taught and Jesus would not contradict Himself that way!
Jesus was forever and always to be the HEAD of the body, and then from there on out there would be two shoulders, two arms, two hands, two legs, two feet…there would be MANY parts of the body that would contribute to carrying on His work. For man to set up their OWN plan is contrary to the Savior's wishes.
Yet the papacy did just that, they created a system that eventually had a single MAN standing supreme, the voice of God on earth. So contrary this is to the word of God it's hard to believe that so many millions are caught up in this lie.
Was this the only lie of the papacy? Not by a long shot.
'Celibacy for priests is a discipline in the Latin Catholic Church, not a doctrine: in other words, a church regulation, but not an integral part of Church teaching. It is based upon the life of Christ and his celibate way of life. However the first pope, St. Peter, as well as many subsequent popes, bishops, and priests during the church's first 270 years were in fact married men, and often fathers. The practice of clerical continence, along with a prohibition of marriage by men once they were ordained a deacon, priest or bishop, is traceable from the time of the Council of Elvira. This law was reinforced in the Directa Decretal (385) and at the Council of Carthage in 390. The tradition of clerical continence developed into a practice of clerical celibacy (ordaining only unmarried men) from the 11th century onward among Latin Rite Catholics and became a formal part of canon law in 1917. This law of clerical celibacy does not apply to Eastern Catholics. Until recently, the Eastern Catholic bishops of North America would generally ordain only unmarried men, for fear that married priests would create scandal. Since Vatican II's call for the restoration of Eastern Catholic traditions, a number of bishops have returned to the traditional practice of ordaining married men to the presbyterate. Bishops are still celibate and normally chosen from the ranks of monks.'
'Because the rule of clerical celibacy is a law and not a doctrine, exceptions can be made, and it can, in principle, be changed at any time by the Pope. Nonetheless, both the present Pope, Benedict XVI, and his predecessor, spoke clearly of their understanding that the traditional practice is unlikely to change.'
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This TRADITIONAL practice is something that has been greatly perverted by the papacy. What the Word of God tells us is a good thing but not a necessity, they took and made it a necessity and thereby causing untold grief. But once again this is just another sign of the power they claim to have, a power greater than God's.
Another great lie perpetuated by the papacy is the changing of God's law. Changing the seventh day Sabbath to the first day of the week. The sheer audacity of any man to think they can change God's law is unbelievable, yet all the proof is there.
And what about Jesus' mother, Mary? There is NO where in our Bibles that tells us we are to worship her, NO where does the Bible say that she was sinless herself, NO WHERE! Mary was given NO power whatsoever. Yet where does the papacy place Mary? Right up there to be worshipped! Who created these beliefs- man! Teaching for doctrine the commandments of men!
Mat_15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
'There is significant diversity in the Marian beliefs and devotional practices of major Christian traditions. The Catholic Church has a number of Marian dogmas, such as the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption. Catholics refer to her as Our Lady and venerate her as the Queen of Heaven and Mother of the Church; most Protestants do not share these beliefs.[8][9]'
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Queen of Heaven! Entirely UNBIBLICAL! Nowhere to be found in the BIBLE!
'The Immaculate Conception of Mary is the conception (the being conceived) of the Virgin Mary without, according to the Roman Catholic Church, any stain (in Latin, macula or labes, the second of these two synonymous words being the one used in the formal definition)[1] of original sin.[2] It is one of the four dogmatas in Roman Catholic Mariology. Under this aspect Mary is sometimes called the Immaculata (the Immaculate One), particularly in artistic contexts.[3]
The proclaimed Roman Catholic dogma states "that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin".[1] Being always free from original sin, she was from the start filled with the sanctifying grace that would normally come with baptism after birth.'
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'Roman Catholic Mariology is theology concerned with the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ and developed by the Catholic Church. "The Blessed Virgin, because she is the Mother of God, is believed to hold a certain infinite dignity from the infinite good which is God."[1][2] Theologically, Roman Catholic Mariology deals with not only her life but also with veneration of her in daily life, prayer, hymns, art (where she has been a favorite topic), music, and architecture; in modern and ancient Christianity throughout the ages.[3][4][5]
The development of Roman Catholic Mariology is ongoing. It continues to be shaped not only by papal encyclicals but also by the interplay of forces ranging from sensus fidelium, to the writings of the saints, to the construction of major Marian churches at the sites of Marian apparitions. In some cases, sensus fidelium has influenced Marian papal decisions, providing Mariology with a "theology of the people" component that distinguishes it from other parts of formal theology.
In terms of popular following, membership in Roman Catholic Marian Movements and Societies has grown significantly in the 20th century. This has continued to be matched by support from the Holy See, with Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) stating: "It is necessary to go back to Mary, if we want to return to the truth about Jesus Christ".[6] The ongoing development of Mariology continued in the 20th century, e.g. in his Angelus address in September 1985 Pope John Paul II coined the term The Alliance of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, and in 1986 addressed the international conference on that topic held at Fátima, Portugal.[7][8][9]'
'Assumption of Mary
Mary was assumed into heaven with body and soul (de fide). Mary, the ever virgin, mother of God was free of original sin. The Immaculate Conception is one basis for the 1950 dogma. Another was the century old Church-wide veneration of the Virgin Mary as being assumed into heaven, which Pope Pius XII referred to in Deiparae Virginis Mariae and reported in Munificentissimus Deus.[52] Although the Assumption was only recently defined as dogma, accounts of the bodily assumption of Mary into heaven have circulated since at least the 5th century. The Catholic Church itself interprets chapter 12 of the Book of Revelation as referring to it. The earliest assumption narrative is the so-called Liber Requiei Mariae (The Book of Mary's Repose), a narrative which survives intact only in an Ethiopic translation. (Stephen J. Shoemaker, Ancient Traditions of the Virgin Mary's Dormition and Assumption] Oxford University Press, 2002, 2006). Probably composed by the 4th century, this early Christian apocryphal narrative may be as early as the 3rd century. Also quite early are the very different traditions of the "Six Books" Dormition narratives. The earliest versions of this apocryphon are preserved by several Syriac manuscripts of the 5th and 6th centuries, although the text itself probably belongs to the 4th century. Later apocrypha based on these earlier texts include the De Obitu S. Dominae, attributed to St. John, a work probably from around the turn of the 6th century that is a summary of the "Six Books" narrative. The story also appears in De Transitu Virginis, a late 5th century work ascribed to St. Melito of Sardis that presents a theologically redacted summary of the traditions in the Liber Requiei Mariae. The Transitus Mariae tells the story of the apostles being transported by white clouds to the death-bed of Mary, each from the town where he was preaching at the hour. The Decretum Gelasianum in the 490s declared some transitus Mariae literature as apocryphal.
An Armenian letter attributed to Dionysus the Areopagite also mentions the event, although this is a much later work, written sometime after the 6th century. Other saints also describe it, notably St Gregory of Tours, St John Damascene, and St Modestus of Jerusalem.
Theological debate about the Assumption continued until 1950 when, in the Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus, it was defined as definitive doctrine by Pope Pius XII:
We pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory."[53][54]
Since the 1870 solemn declaration of Papal Infallibility by Vatican I in 1870, this declaration by Pius XII has been the only ex cathedra use of Papal Infallibility. While Pope Pius XII deliberately left open the question of whether Mary died before her Assumption, the more common teaching of the early Fathers is that she did.[55][56]'
Lies!
'Mary as Mediatrix
Main article: Mediatrix
In Catholic teachings, Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and man.[61] He alone reconciled through his death on the Cross creator and creation. But this does not exclude a secondary mediating role for Mary, preparatory, supportive, in the view of several prominent, but not all Catholics. The teaching that Mary intercedes for all believers and especially those who request her intercession through prayer has been held in the Church since early times, for example by Ephraim, the Syrian “after the mediater a mediatrix for the whole world [62] Intercession is something that may be done by all the heavenly saints, but Mary is seen as having the greatest intercessionary power. The earliest surviving recorded prayer to Mary is the Sub tuum praesidium, written in Greek.[63]
Mary has increasingly been seen as a principal dispenser of God's graces and Advocate for the people of God and is mentioned as such in several official Church documents. Pope Pius IX used the title in Ineffabilis Deus. In the first of his so called Rosary encyclicals, Supremi Apostolatus (1883), Pope Leo XIII calls Our Lady the guardian of our peace and the dispensatrix of heavenly graces. The following year, 1884, his encyclical Superiore Anno speaks of the prayers presented to God through her whom He has chosen to be the dispenser of all heavenly graces. Pope Pius X employed this title in Ad Diem Illud in 1904, Pope Benedict XV introduced it into the Marian liturgy when he created the Marian feast of The Mary, Mediatrix of all Graces in 1921, In his 1954 encyclical Ad caeli reginam, Pope Pius XII calls Mary the Mediatrix of peace.[64] The theological discussion ongoing, neither Pius XII nor his successors moved to a closure of this issue.'
Pasted from
More lies!
'In several Marian teachings, such as the Immaculate Conception, the "theology of the people", the profound and century-old sense of the faithful took precedence over academic theology.[90] Identical arguments were made for the dogma of the Assumption by Pope Pius XII.[92] To some non-Catholics and even to some theologically oriented Catholics, like Karl Rahner, this sensus fidei has some problems.[93]
Nevertheless, popular Mariology has been a major driving force in the past 150 years. It led to the two infallible, ex cathedra dogmas: Immaculate Conception (1854) and Assumption (1950). Since the 1870 solemn declaration of Papal Infallibility by Vatican I, the 1950 declaration by Pius XII has been the first and only ex cathedra use of papal infallibility. Thus while the dogmatic definitions of the Assumption, took place only in the 20th century, the sensus fidelium was already being shaped in the Middle Ages, and by 1530, Antonio da Correggio had completed his contract for the elaborate scene of the Assumption in the Cathedral of Palermo.[94]'
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Such lies! Man's lies standing in place of God's truth! The papacy is rife with its lies against God's truth!
'In this sequence of events the nature of the medieval papacy is clearly seen. Excommunication of rulers, military campaigns enjoying papal support, rival popes reigning at the same time, the split between pope and emperor as a factor in European politics - all these become familiar themes of the Middle Ages.
The cumulative effect, centuries later, is a papacy of great wealth, vast power, considerable corruption and much reduced spiritual authority. Eventually these characteristics provoke the Reformation. But in the meantime the papacy has its period of greatest power, presiding over Europe's feuding factions and charging handsomely for the service. '
'The familiar image of a Renaissance pope begins a little later, with the election of Sixtus IV in 1471. His patronage of the arts is evident in the Sistine chapel and the Sistine choir, both named after him. But his lavish patronage goes hand in hand with a very worldly conduct of the Vatican's affairs. '
'In 1503, his first year in office, Julius launches the great scheme to rebuild St Peter's. In 1509 the pope invites Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and persuades Raphael to decorate three rooms in the Vatican. Christian Rome's greatest glories have been conceived within a space of six years.'
'In April 1506 Julius II and his architect, Bramante, are ready to lay the foundation stone of the new St Peter's. A commemorative medal is struck with the classical inscription Templi Petri Instauracio (Renewal of the Temple of Peter), showing a view of a great domed basilica with a classical portico.
In spirit - though not in detail - this design is similar to the church which is eventually completed in 1590, by which time Raphael and Michelangelo and several others have succeeded Bramante as official architect for the scheme.
Meanwhile the need for funds for the vast new project, together with the unscrupulous manner in which Renaissance popes are willing to raise them, provokes the great central crisis of Europe in the 16th century - the Reformation. '
'Germany provides a context in which materialism within the Roman Catholic church is offensively evident. Some of the principalities, which together make up the Holy Roman empire, are ruled by unscrupulous prelates living in the style of Renaissance princes. Foremost among them is Albert, archbishop of Mainz and one of the seven imperial electors.
By the age of twenty-four Albert holds a bishopric and a second archbishopric in addition to Mainz. Such plurality is against canon law. But the pope, Leo X, agrees to overlook the irregularity in return for a large donation to the building costs of the new St Peter's.
Both pope and archbishop are men of the world (the pope is a Medici). Leo makes it possible for Albert to recover his costs by granting him the concession for the sale of indulgences towards the building of St Peter's. Half the money for each indulgence is go to Rome; the other half will help to pay off Albert's debts (he has borrowed the money for the original donation from the Fuggers of Augsburg).
This secret arrangement might distress the faithful if they knew of it. But more immediately shocking to some is the behaviour of the friar Johann Tetzel, whom Albert employs to sell the indulgences.
Tetzel is a showman. When preaching to gullible crowds in German towns he goes far beyond the official doctrine of indulgences. He promises the immediate release of loved ones from the pain of Purgatory as soon as a purchase is made. He even has a catchy jingle to make the point: 'As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, The soul from Purgatory springs.' '
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True apostasy!
For more on this read this article- 'The Vatican Billions - Two Thousand Years of Wealth Accumulation From Caesar to the Space Age.' http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/vatican/vatican_billions.htm
Dan 11:36 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
Dan 11:37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
Dan 11:38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
Dan 11:39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.
This outlines the Papacy perfectly. Prophecy meets history in a perfect fit.
Anyone today who doesn't recognize the fact that the Papacy has a unique power all its own is totally deceived.
There is so much we are given for our own edification and so much that people would have us totally ignore.
If we don't bother ourselves with all this nonsense and just leave well enough alone the better for everyone concerned, right?
Just follow what man tells us and ignore completely what God says.
How many people are truly WATCHING today? We are told to watch and pray, but how many are really, really watching and praying? Watching means a whole lot more than simply existing. Watching means a lot more than letting someone else tell us what we are seeing. For us to be watching means we are actively looking, we are active. We need to watch in all things.
If history has unfolded prophecy before our eyes how can we close our eyes to it and pretend it's all false? How?
Yet millions do this, millions and millions would much rather close their eyes and be lulled with soothing words of the greatest deception.
It is my prayer that we are not among those who would rather be told smooth things- easy to accept. It is my prayer that we are among those who choose to delve deep for the truth hearing hard sayings but knowing them for being the real unadulterated truth! Being Christ's means traveling that NARROW path that few will find. If we discover ourselves upon a broad path where everything is going along nicely and we have millions of people with us- then we truly have to ask ourselves if we are upon that narrow path Jesus spoke of.
By His GRACE always!!!!! In His love! May His kingdom come! May HIS will be done always!
In His forgiveness, in His righteousness!
Amen.
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