Monday, January 19, 2015

An Open Letter To Brother Eddie Villanueva



Dear Brother Eddie,

I hope and pray that this letter reaches you and take to heart the sentiments every true born-again believer of Christ wants to convey to you in light of the interview you had with an English daily in relation to the visit of Pope Francis. I write as a brother in Christ, not as a critic wanting to put you on edge for your theology gone wayward, but as a fellow Christian trying to remind you that encouraging your flock to celebrate the pope's visit citing it as not only a Catholic event, is wrong in every way as per biblical principle.

Without a doubt and I have always said this that I am one of those millions who have been blessed by your ministry and that the Lord has evidently touched and changed so many lives through your ministry. With that being said, I am also one of those many people who were completely astounded when in the interview you proudly announced that  JIL members are free to celebrate the visit of the pope and join in the celebration. Though I can understand you only wanted to emphasize that your flocks are not being subjected to restrictions and that they enjoy 'freedom of worship' under your leadership, it is however uncalled for and bordering on leading the flock astray from the truth by encouraging them to indirectly partake of the sins of idolatry and false worship.

I can also perfectly understand that you mean no harm with your intents, and that your heart only desires for what is noble, good and honorable. The pope's message of mercy and compassion is easily identifiable with us Christians because this very same thing is the very heartbeat of God. I do believe that you genuinely do care about people and want them to find wholeness in the Lord and ultimately want to bring them to the knowledge of truth. But have you forgotten that the truth may not always be popular but it shall always remain the truth?  Jesus is the only truth, and you do not find the truth in the midst of idol worship!

You said that "others who value genuine world peace, freedom of worship and interfaith dialogue should also welcome this historic event". I appreciate the fact that you clamor for "genuine world peace" just like everybody else; and who does not? The world is saddled with wars, rumors of wars - and given the advent of ISIS, Boko Haram, and the perpetual religious and cultural wars within societies, are these not too much to bear for any peace-loving individual? So I can understand where's that sentiment coming from.  But if you read your Bible when you get time, the Lord Jesus Christ comforts His disciples that He leaves them  peace, not as the world gives (John 14:27). And these words came from the "prince of peace" himself. Did I just lose my faith in 'world peace' for saying this? Not at all! Anything is possible with God. But as true born-again believers of Christ, living in the last days I believe, and awaiting that Blessed Hope, there is an assurance that in Him we find the peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4: 7).

Your sudden association with the Catholic faith saddens me terribly  because I am purely concerned of your flock, who once in their lifetimes were held under the bondage of religiosity and idolatry in the Catholic faith. Whether we admit it or not, many from among your flock have answered your call to celebrate with the pope because as their leader, they believe it is their Christian duty to participate in the cause that you believe in, which is the very same message of hope, unity, and world peace that the pope espouses. 

If in case you have no idea until now whom you are associating with, allow me to cite in details why Pope Francis is probably the most well-loved figure on the planet which rightfully earned him the moniker, "the people's pope":

His stand on Atheism
Pope Francis makes no secret of his agenda of inclusiveness, openness, and welcoming other religions and atheists alike into the Catholic fold. While it sounded noble and honorable, he dared tread the path where no other man has gone before: announcing to the world that even atheists can still go to heaven as long as they do good deeds and they follow their conscience. He would emphasize that believing in God is no longer a prerequisite to enter heaven. So, whatever happened to John 14: 6, Ephesians 2: 8-9, John 3: 16-18, among others?

On Homosexuality
Jesus commanded us to "love your neighbor as yourself". And that's basically a command to love every human being, that's why God sent Jesus to die for the sins of the world - and that's including me, yourself and everyone else. We ought to love others, so much so that we have been called to warn others of the wrath of God if we do not turn away from our sins. But the pope in his effort to welcome everyone to the Catholic church, refuses to condemn the sins of homosexuality by pontificating that "as long as they have goodwill and are seeking God, who am I to judge?"

On Islam
In a series of shocking developments from the Vatican since Pope Francis ascended to the papacy, the one that really made a mark is his recent invitation for an inter-faith dialogue wherein for the first time in the history of Catholicism, an Islamic prayer and Quranic verses reverberated inside the halls of the Vatican. An unedited prayer by the imam calls to their god Allah "to give them victory over the infidels" - and that presumably includes me, yourself and all others not belonging to the Islamic faith. 

The pope further stressed that it is wrong to equate violence with Islam. But their book tells of an entirely different story where Muslims are commanded not to make friends with Jews and Christians (Surah 5:51), to instill terror in the hearts of the infidels and to strike their neck down to their fingertips (Surah 8:12, in case we wonder why there's so much beheading), and slay the infidels wherever they may be found (Surah 9:5). So can we blame the ISIS for slaughtering thousands of Christians and the minority Yazidis in Syria and Iraq? The Boko Haram for butchering three thousand Christians in Nigeria a fortnight ago? And yet the pope condemns those who condemn violence and terror committed in the name of Islam!

On inter-faith dialogue as a way forward
We know and you know, this  leads to Ecumenism that would usher to the one-world religion spoken of by the prophet Daniel and greatly detailed in the Book of Revelation. Harmless and noble as it may seem to appear, we should not forget that the Lord Jesus Christ himself had warned his disciples of the impending trouble that we are about to suffer because of Him. Nowadays, political correctness is being used as leverage for every other religion but Christianity. The atheists and the Islamists always get offended by almost anything Christians do: be it prayer in school, students praying before meals in a public school canteen, and even a small cross planted on a front yard of a private home. Anything with a mention of Jesus and God is offensive to them. Christians are habitually taken to court  because of their faith, and most often than not the accusers come away smiling. 

But are we not supposed to be glad that we Christians partake in the sufferings of Christ just as Paul and Silas rejoiced after they were beaten and jailed? No matter how hard we squeeze ourselves into a gathering of inter-faith leaders to 'achieve peace', the truth that the world will still hate our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ remains. Jesus said, "you will be hated by everyone because of me" (Matthew 10:22). And, "if the world hated you it's because it hated me first" (John 15:8). Some people would willingly die to defend their religion, or their idols or prophets, but Jesus our Lord and Savior was the one who died for us.

In view of the above, let me remind you lest you forget;

That there is only one mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus. That Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, and no one comes to the Father but by Him. But the pope, the leader of the largest idolatrous religion in the world whom you are all praises for, never said of these things about Jesus - and instead he encourages all his flocks to worship and pray to Mary so that she in turn would intercede for them - and they call her as the queen of heavens. Is this not a blasphemy of the highest order against our sovereign God? God hates idol worship and He punishes them that worship idols up to the fourth generation; lest you forget.

That all these talks of achieving "genuine world peace" and "so-called unity" is a waste of time without Christ at the center of it. Peace without Jesus is false peace and unity without Jesus is false unity. If there's one person who knows it better, it is you Brother Eddie. All these so-called peace and unity efforts can deliver is but temporary peace - and the one that can give it is the anti-Christ; lest you forget.

That the pope's "message of hope" which you yourself affirmed is not what our hopeless generation needs; anyone can proclaim the same message even those who do not necessarily believe in Jesus. But what people do need to hear is the gospel of peace that only Jesus gives: it is how people can be saved from their sins and obtain forgiveness -  and that is by repentance and believing in Jesus as the Son of God - this is the message - and not by celebrating the sins of idolatry and encouraging your flock to celebrate with them; lest you forget. 

That if your belt of truth is not properly buckled up then there goes your breastplate of righteousness. That no matter how people strive their hardest to attain their desired purpose with all their purest intents if it is not founded in the truth of Jesus but of deception, there can only be an expected end. Without God's truth, all of man's effort for peace and unity are bound to crumble because they are not planted on a solid foundation. For when there is no truth, there is no righteousness; lest you forget.

Brother Eddie, I have no doubt in my mind that you are an anointed man of God who loves the Lord Jesus Christ as much as you love His truth. Your passion for the lost is beyond question as much as your desire to obey God. However, your declaration that "the pope's visit will serve as a breakthrough to effect unity among different religions" is beyond me. How "two can walk together except they be agreed"? (Amos 3:3) In Paul's letter to the Corinthians he admonished them "not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness, and what communion has light with darkness."? (2 Corinthians 6:14) Just to make it clear; lest you forget.

As for your son Joel, himself a man of God just like you, it is inconceivable that he would seek blessings from the pope and ask for his prayers for the nation. He would even call Pope Francis, "the pope of hope". What has happened to our Blessed Hope, and the song of David when he "looked for the Lord for his hope is in Him" (Psalms 39:7)?  Maybe that needs revision? Or you both figure it out. I just hope that the pope would oblige and intercede for our nation (to Mary perhaps?) just as what your son Joel sought from him.   I pray that your son Joel does not believe in his heart that the pope is indeed the "Vicar of Christ on Earth" lest he deprives the Holy Spirit of His job. And by essentially believing that the pope can come more boldly to the throne of grace more than he could, then I think there must be something terribly wrong with the doctrine that your son was brought up into.

Brother Eddie, God has given you unarguably one of the largest platforms for the gospel in Philippine history and beyond. Can you say before Him that you have proclaimed His uncompromising truth, cared for His flock and protected them from the devourer? Have you ever studied extensively the prophetic words of Jesus in the gospel, learning it, feeding on it and sharing it with your flock so that they get properly nurtured? Have you ever worked your way through the epistles of Paul? If not, why not?

Have you ever wondered about how your association with Catholicism plays out among true born-again believers of the Lord Jesus Christ, some of them members of your own flock who have once endured the curse of idolatry and religiosity but have found freedom in Jesus? Have you ever thought about what your message of encouragement to have fellowship with darkness sounds like to those who have found light in Jesus? Have you ever figured out what spiritual adultery can bring about to the bride of Christ? And if that 'monumental speech' you did at a Quiboloy event is anything to go by, all of  Filipino Christian community be better ready to kneel down before God for you.

When a person is called by God to shepherd His flock and ceases to lead them in good pasture and still waters, he cannot be a good shepherd anymore. But I believe, your heart and soul constantly seek for what is good for the flock. Jesus has showed us the example of a good shepherd: one who's willing to lay down his life for the flock. This is good shepherding 101, as basic as it gets, yet you encouraged your flock to join in agreement with the pope who only brings idol worship and false hope to a deceived nation. As Christians we are called to win them to Jesus and not us getting into agreement with them.

Bro. Eddie, I know that these words have been strong, yet they are written in love and concern. And since I have no direct access to you and do not know in any way how to reach you, after prayer and reflection, I felt that this was the best way to go, addressing  public statements publicly, by blog, with a fervent hope that this message reaches you. Without a doubt, there are many lives you have touched; by not clinging to the basic truth you have also offended more than you realize; lest you forget. I pray that you will take this to heart. Praying for you.


From a fellow Christian,


Nelson of The Discerning Sheep Ministry



33 comments:

  1. Just want to share the other side of the story...
    Hoping and praying that everyone will be enlightened of the truth for we shall know the truth and the truth shall set us free. - John 8:32
    God bless everyone!

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=9d08F574YC4

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes brother Nestor, Hoping and praying that everyone will be enlightened of the truth for we shall know the truth and the truth shall set us free.

      God bless everyone!

      http://youtu.be/e5xlI3NUfsg

      Delete
  2. Thank you for commenting brothers. But I think you're missing the point here. What Bro. Eddie has said in the clip were the absolute truth and I commend him for that. That's basic gospel 101 and everyone from Sunday school kids to adults should know about them by heart. We can all unequivocally agree on all his points. As far as I know this broadcast was done prior to the Inquirer interview, not so sure about it. But here's my point:

    1, If you pore over the interview he had with the Inquirer, he said that "the pope's visit is not only a Catholic event (well, to me it's purely a Catholic event but I'm a born-again believer of Christ), and that JIL members are free to join millions of other Filipino children of God in celebrating the pastoral visit of Pope Francis". I think his statement equates to encouraging his members to join in the 'celebration'. (I just hoped not all JIL members did go)
    2. Why would a Spirit-filled Christian go to such a blasphemous event where people go on a stampede wailing as though they experience epiphany at the mere presence of 'god in the flesh'?
    3. I have my deep respect for Bro. Eddie, and I love him as a brother in Christ but I think you people have to read, study and immerse yourselves in Scriptures and ask for discernment from the Holy Spirit and not overlook the yeast that is creeping in in the Body of Christ.. Remember that a "little leaven leavens the whole lump" (Galatians 5:9).

    ReplyDelete
  3. What Bro Eddie said in the interview with the Inquirer is very clear. He said, that the members of JIL are “free to join millions of other Filipino children of God” in celebrating Pope Francis’ pastoral and state visit to the Philippines. What he said in the interview has revealed a lot regarding his stand on ecumenism.This is exactly what's happening in America, where TV evangelists like Rick Warren, Kenneth Copeland, Joel Osteen would tell their congregations to unite with Catholics, and even Muslims. To me, i don't wanna go back to where i came out from which is BABYLON. Let's follow Jesus, not man. Remember that in the last days, before Jesus returns, there will be a great apostasy of the church. Don't be deceived! This could be a prelude to it. God bless you children of God!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for bringing it up. By God's mercy, wolves in sheep's clothing are being exposed by the Holy Spirit in our midst. It's up to us if we heed the warning or not, but we've been adequately warned. God bless.

      Delete
  4. I'm deeply saddened by the fact that we always fight over matters of doctrine and belief. We always tend to "hair-split" each other's beliefs and end up into each other. My Jesus Christ taught me how to love "unconditionally" - whether my neighbor be Catholic, Born-Again, INC, Muslim, Atheist etc. My Jesus Christ taught me how to love my enemies (Luke 6: 27-38). My Jesus Christ taught me to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit the sick and the imprisoned (Matt. 25:31-46) for what I do to the least of my brothers I do it to Him. In other words I do not do these things for the sake of my salvation, I do these things in the name of my love for others. And perhaps, this is what Christ has been telling us all the time and yet we are so focused on bashing each other's practices, beliefs and so on. How can we become true "Christians", if we simple don't know how to love and forgive? Paano magkakaroon ng saysay ang pagpapakahirap ni Kristo kung hindi naman tayo marunong magmahal? Paano yun? Mamahalin lang natin kung sinong kasapi natin? Kung sinong kaparis natin ng paniniwala? Ganun na ba tayo ngayon? Sinong Kristo ba ang nagturo niyan?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ...end up into *hating* each other...

      Delete
    2. Brother, loving every God's creation especially fellow human beings is beyond the point of this conversation. That command has been passed to us since two millennia ago, and we love you enough to tell you that you need the real Jesus the mediator between God and man, the One who died on the cross for my sin and yours - and not some icons, or so-called vicar on earth. You might have not properly understood the conversation for you to say we bash one another. God bless you.

      Delete
    3. Brother John, loving the enemies and contending for the truth are two very different matters. And if what you mean by peace is to agree with other religions whether they are Muslims, Hindus, Catholics etc. and their belief, that's not peace, that's ecumenism. Jesus said in Luke 12:51, "Suppose you that I am come to give PEACE on earth? I tell you, NO; BUT RATHER DIVISION. Don't think that I don't want peace on earth, I do, but I would rather be without peace (earthly peace, that is), than without Jesus.

      Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. ~ John 14:27

      Delete
    4. But can't we hold love as the truth? as Christ himself told us that God is Love and God is the Truth? Ecumenism is just a technical term of having dialogue with other religions. But that is mere formality...it is without any significance if we don't know how to understand each other. Peace is such a strong word. Maybe we should start with something a lot more simpler...I think Christ would call it Love.

      Delete
    5. Brother John, true, God is love, but not the other way around, that would be an idolatry. The world is always trying to give us its own version of what God is giving us. It's so deceiving, people, even Christians often times can't distinguish what is of God and what is of the world. True love can not exist outside Jesus. We can't hold love as the truth because there's only one truth, and that's Jesus Christ. Interfaith dialogue with other religions would means compromising God's Word, because Jesus is the only Way.

      Jesus said to him, I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE: no man comes to the Father, but by Me. ~ John 14:6 (AKJV)

      Delete
    6. Yes, "True love can not exist outside Jesus." And so we are called to share this love to others - to make Jesus' presence felt to those who need Him. Our Christ is a "Hidden Christ" - hidden within the faces of the poor, the needy, the marginalized and the oppressed.

      Delete
    7. John, please read Matthew:24:3-8:

      Notice that Lord Jesus Christ said, "Many shall come in my name "—His name being Jesus . Furthermore, they would come in His name, not with His name or bearing His name. In other words, they would presume to represent Him—not assume His identity.

      So a clearer rendering of what Jesus meant in verses 4-5 would be: "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many shall come claiming to represent Me, saying that I [Jesus] am the Christ, yet shall deceive many." That is, they would proclaim Jesus as the biblical Messiah and would claim to be His representatives—but they actually would be part of a massive religious deception.

      It is these people—false preachers and teachers claiming to be Christian—who would proliferate and deceive ever more people as the end of the age neared.

      The apostle Paul later affirmed, in a Christian context, that "evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived" (2 Timothy:3:13). So not only do they deceive others. These false teachers themselves are deceived.

      You may also look how Lord Jesus Christ criticized and warn us against scribes and Pharisees. Matthew 23.

      One last thing, not everyone who says Jesus is Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of God The Father who is in heaven.

      God said: I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols. - Isaiah 42:8

      Delete
  5. Thank you Brother. But let me ask you: Who is greater? The one who venerates an "icon" yet is able to work for the benefit of others? or the one who prays all day To God long and yet is as selfish and pretentious like a Pharisee? Who is more worthy of entering the Kingdom of God? A homosexual who suffers silently yet prays for his/her bashers? or a Pastor who keeps on molesting his followers?

    "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." John 8:7

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brother, I think we should go back to the basic. There is none righteous no, not one (Romans 3:10). All our righteousness is as filthy as rags (Isaiah 64:6) sa harap ng Dios. Walang pwedeng magmalaki sa harap ng Dios at magsabi na sia ay mabuti dahil ang Dios lang ang mabuti. Pls read your Bible the whole of Romans and Eph 2:8,9. Open your eyes people, follow God and not your tradition - I'd been there and and still interceding for my loved ones (hundreds of them) that God may open their eyes also. All your questions are in the Bible esp in the New Testament. Study your Bible Brod and ask wisdom from God, He will give it to you abundantly. God bls.

      Delete
    2. I already have. And what I have learned is that, I should love the Lord, my God, with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind and that I should love my neighbor as I love myself. More than that, we are called to put love into "action"whether it be great or small. Brother, in behalf of all "true" Catholics, I come here not as an enemy but as a brother who is willing talk and share about our faith. At some point I have to accept that we have different doctrines and beliefs, but I also pray that we may be united someday by the grace of God. All we could do at this moment is to understand each other. Reconciliation is still a long way to go, but with God, nothing is impossible. Thank you for having me in this conversation. God Bless you, brother!

      Delete
    3. Praying for you Brother John, thank you for sharing your thoughts. Jesus loves you! God bless.

      Delete
  6. To the blogger. I disagree with you.

    1. "bordering on leading the flock astray from the truth by encouraging them to indirectly partake of the sins of idolatry and false worship."
    How is the flock led astray? And from what truth? What do you mean by indirect partaking of sins of idol worship? You have not shown the implication clearly. You just asserted this.

    2. The pope did not say that atheists can go to heaven without believing in God. The press said that.
    http://www.ncregister.com/blog/jimmy-akin/did-pope-francis-say-atheists-dont-need-to-believe-in-god-to-be-saved-9-thi

    3. On homosexuality, the pope is not only unwilling to throw the first stone to the homosexual, but more than that, he is emulating Christ. "Neither do I condemn you", BUT "go and leave your life of sin".

    I don't see where you are coming from. How are you going to reach out to the homosexual? By throwing condemning words at them until they are stoned to death? Or by showing them the love, grace and forgiveness of Christ? When you discover someone close to you, a family member or loved one, who is struggling with this problem, then you will know!

    3. On inter-fatih dialogue. Are you saying that Christians should be offensive rather than diplomatic? To be hated is not the goal here, but to win the lost! And I do not think that you are going to win the lost if you put "being hated" before winning them. He who wins souls is wise.

    4. Let us stop being obsessed about the differences between us and the Catholics. Seriously, we must accept that they worship JESUS too. Yes they have a different view on salvation and they have all sorts of sacraments, but you must always remember that point. I am dead sure that there are a lot of Catholics who are saved and a lot of people in the born-again movement who are not saved. JESUS is our common denominator. If the pope is not against Jesus, then he is for Jesus. To tell you the truth, he is a great Christian (yes Catholics are called Christians too) and continues to be an inspiration and role model for Christians all around the world.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Cheesedale, Please see below two major differences between Catholics and Christians.

      Catholic Salvation:
      Though it's technically correct to say that Catholics believe in salvation through Jesus Christ, they reject justification by faith alone in Christ alone. Instead, it teaches that good works of various kinds are necessary for salvation. Such teaching clearly contradicts biblical theology. Please consider the following Scripture references before we get into official Catholic theology regarding salvation.

      "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law," (Rom. 3:28).
      "But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness," (Rom. 4:5).
      "But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace," (Rom. 11:6).
      "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast," (Ephesians 2:8-9).
      "For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them," (Galatians 3:10).
      "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all," (James 2:10).

      As you can see, justification is by faith alone without works (Rom. 3:28; 4:5) and that the two verses listed Galatians 3:10 and James 2:10 clearly reject any hope of salvation through faith and any of our works (See also Gal. 5:1-5). The above verses contradict Roman Catholic theology. Please consider the following quotes from official Roman Catholic sources.

      "...the mission of teaching all peoples, and of preaching the Gospel to every creature, so that all men may attain salvation through faith, Baptism and the observance of the Commandments," (Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 2068).
      "The specific precepts of the natural law, because their observance, demanded by the creator, is necessary for salvation," (CCC 2036). "The Decalogue contains a privileged expression of the natural law. It is made known to us by divine revelation and by human reason," (CCC 2080).
      In Roman Catholicism that which is necessary for salvation includes the church (CCC 846), baptism (CCC 1257), penance (CCC 980), sacraments (CCC 1129), service and witness to the faith (CCC 1816), keeping the ten commandments (CCC 2036 and 2070), and detachment from riches (CCC 2556).
      "If any one saith, that by faith alone the impious is justified; in such wise as to mean, that nothing else is required to co-operate in order to the obtaining the grace of Justification, and that it is not in any way necessary, that he be prepared and disposed by the movement of his own will; let him be anathema" (Council of Trent, Canons on Justification, Canon 9).

      Delete
    2. Catholic Mary:

      A few references from Catholic sources regarding the person and work of Mary. You decide for yourself if a kind of worship and adoration is given to her that should be given only to God.

      Mary is the all holy one: "By asking Mary to pray for us, we acknowledge ourselves to be poor sinners and we address ourselves to the 'Mother of Mercy,' the All-Holy One," (CCC 2677).
      Devotion to Mary: "The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an "epitome of the whole Gospel," express this devotion to the Virgin Mary," (CCC. 971).
      Pray to Mary: "Mary is the perfect Orans (pray-er), a figure of the Church. When we pray to her, we are adhering with her to the plan of the Father," (CCC 2679).
      Mary is worshipped: "...when she [Mary] is the subject of preaching and worship she prompts the faithful to come to her Son..." (Vatican Council II, p. 420). See quote in Context
      No Better way than to look to Mary: "After speaking of the Church, her origin, mission, and destiny, we can find no better way to conclude than by looking to Mary," (CCC 972).
      "so no man goeth to Christ but by His Mother," (Vatican Website: Encyclical of Pope Leo 13th on the Rosary, Octobri Mense, Pope Leo 13th, 1903-1914).
      Mary brings us the gifts of Eternal Life: Mary, "...by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation...(CCC par. 969).
      Mary made atonement for the sins of man: "...Mary, by her spiritual entering into the sacrifice of her divine son for men, made atonement for the sins of man and (de congruon) merited the application of the redemptive grace of Christ. In this manner she cooperates in the subjective redemption of mankind." (Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, Ott, page 213).

      Obviously, the qualities and works attributed to Mary by the Roman Catholic Church far exceed what is revealed to us in Scripture. In fact, the Bible says not to exceed what is written (1 Corinthians 4:6). But, through Catholic tradition a whole host of un-biblical teachings concerning her have been proclaimed.

      If it's true that whoever loves Jesus is all on the same team, then true love for him should manifest itself in dedication and obedience to his word as revealed in Scripture. It's one thing to say that a group of people loves Jesus. It's another thing to demonstrate that it is true. When we see the many un-biblical teachings of the Catholic Church listed above (and there are many more), how can anyone say that they truly love Jesus? Sure, there are Catholics who love the real Christ, the one who died on the cross for our sins. That is not the problem. The problem is the Roman Catholic Church's false teachings concerning Mary and salvation.

      Delete
  7. Bro. (or Sis) Cheesedale, thanks for dropping by.
    As I have said in the post, the Truth may always be unpopular but the truth shall always remain the truth - its state is immutable. Jesus was not popular during His time - people looked for Him not because they loved Him but because they needed Him. In the end, those people that He healed, fed and taught at the synagogues about love, repentance and forgiveness were the the ones who demanded Him dead in place of a criminal. Ecclesiastes 1:9 said, "the thing that has been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there's no new thing under the sun." Your reaction is not surprising in fact it is VERY much expected, because the Bible affirms of such, "for there's nothing new under the sun".

    Let me address all four of your points in light of biblical truth:
    1. "bordering on leading the flock astray..." How is the flock led astray? You clearly did not read the transcript (verbatim) of the interview. He claims it (papal event) as not only for Catholics. By saying it, he was making a blanket statement that it's okay that we too parade down the streets of Manila to celebrate with them. Okay, he could tell it to JIL members but not to million other born-again believers of Christ who are not willing to participate in spiritual adultery.If you are a true born-again Spirit-filled Christian, you most definitely understand what I mean, for the "natural man" is not having it, no matter what. "And what truth?" Jesus is the Only truth and nowhere in the Bible did Jesus defend and applaud idolaters for their idol worship, in fact God the Father detests so much the idolaters that He shames them in graphic details (Isaiah 44:9-20) that even kindergarten kids would coil in shame. What about born-again Christians joining our Catholic brothers in their convulsive state wailing and flailing the image of "baby jesus"while chanting "we love you pope" or "holy father we love you"? How is that to you?
    2. "The pope did not say that atheists can go to heaven" right? So these are all made-up stories, you assert. Let's end this conversation. But last I checked, countless other respectable media carried the very same story and exact words the pope uttered. If people can stir up a revolution in social media for a John 14:6 post by a celebrity because they deem it offensive, what else is new?

    3. "The pope is not willing to throw the first stone"....Dear friend, I would have not written this article if I gloated at people in their desperate state to find hope. It is love for the brethren and the lost that prompted me to do this. The same thing with the lgbt community, I love them as much as you do, so much so that I wanted them enlightened that Jesus loves the sinner but not the sin. Same thing applies to all. Why can't the pope lovingly accept them and tell them at the same time to turn away from their sins (homosexual practice)? God cannot accept to Himself those who continue to live in sin.

    4. On inter-faith dialogue:
    BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY AND ROMAN CATHOLICISM ARE TWO DIFFERENT RELIGIONS that practice and believe different things about how one is saved, the authority of the Bible, the priesthood of believers, the nature of man, the work of Christ on the cross, etc. The list of irreconcilable differences between what the Bible says and what the Roman Catholic Church says makes any joint mission between the two absolutely impossible. Those who deny this are not being true to what they say they believe, no matter which side they are on. Any Catholic who is serious about his faith will deny what a serious evangelical Christian believes and vice-versa. I hope this enlightens you.




    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jesus Christ wants us to love one another. He wants the truth proclaimed hence the sending of His disciples to preach the gospel : Jesus came to this world to save us from our sins by dying on the cross (for the wages of sin is death) ONLY JESUS DIED FOR US.. and rising again to proclaim He's conquered even death because He is God. that's His great love and He wanted evry man to hear that.
      We need not argue. Instead we must spend time reading the Bible. Would you disagree to that?
      Jesus cares more about the truth not the leading of man's heart because the heart is deceivable. Very deceivable.. dont let your heart deceive you.

      Delete
    2. Mitz, telling the truth is not tantamount to being argumentative. I'm not surprised that people are this combative when confronted with the TRUTH of the gospel. We love the unsaved so much so that they need to know the truth. God bless you and please you need to read your Bible and pray for wisdom from God. God bless

      Delete
  8. Jesus love sinners including you. If you are 100 percent follow what Jesus commanded you, you must be very humble. So don't be Judgmental and bear false to the Catholics and other religion. You must promote peace and love. Not judging and bearing false witness.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for dropping by, God bless you asher.

      Delete
  9. Why did Christ send His disciples to preach the gospel? Because He cares about the truth. TRUTH MATTERS MOST. THAT JESUS IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE. (True gospel)
    let's be more concerned about our real standing in the judgment day. Will we go to heaven because of religion or good works? NO. Because the Bible says in romans 6:23 for the wages of sin is death (Jesus Christ is the one who died to pay for our sins, rose after 3 days to prove that in Him there is life) He asks from us two things: repent of our sins and put our FAITH and TRUST in JESUS ONLY..
    Our real business is to read the Bible not to argue. love must be anchored in truth. If not, then that is false. You cannot love unless you know what love is.. learn it from Jesus. love is to know the truth and to proclaim the truth so that souls may be saved from the danger of hell. John 3:16 He came to save the sinners if we repent of our sins and put our trust in Him ALONE.

    ReplyDelete
  10. 1. This paragraph tells me how confused your objections are with the event. I still do not see how Bro Eddie's remarks "borders to leading the flock astray." He is not telling JIL members to worship idols. Bro. Eddie did not applaud or defend the Pope for his idol worship. And your caricature of Catholics is uncalled for. You are implying that instead, we should be shaming the Pope and Catholics in graphic details in such a way that could shame little children. Your reaction IS very surprising.

    2. Not my assertion, but I posted a blog that offered that view. With justification.

    3. Oh really? And yet your objection was that the Pope refuses to condemn homosexuality. How did you infer that the Pope supports sinful practices?

    4. I did not deny that there are mutually exclusive differences. But I will say it again, I am dead sure that a lot of Catholics are saved because they have Jesus Christ in their hearts.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am not into a lot of back and forth so I recommend that you read and understand your Bible starting from the gospel of John then go to Romans, that will be the best start. God bless you and I am praying for you and your loved ones.

      Delete
  11. I agree with this article 100%. This is not a matter of loving or not loving. This is a matter of one question : Did joining the Catholic celebration of the pope visit pleased the Lord? I believe that we have been told to be separated and holy and we should have nothing to do with pagan or idolatrous celebrations. We should not compromise and instead we should be the light of those in the darkness. Joining such celebrations will not save all the Catholic unbelievers. Only the Holy Spirit can convict them of their sins and open their hearts to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Of course we can still continue to be friends with them and share with them the gospel but we should not be one with them on those ungodly celebrations. The Israelites has always been the model of what God wanted His church to be. God was always telling Israel to worship Him alone and not be a part of the pagan celebration of their idolatrous neighbors. That is the point of this article.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hello guys! Please allow me to ask just one question on this matter. Does the visit of the Catholic Pope in the Philippines please God or not? Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi Victor, thanks for the question. I'm not going to answer you based on my personal standpoint, but I will answer you based on what the Word of God explicitly says. Here it goes: the answer is No, nay, never. God is never pleased with anyone who leads people to false worship, paganism, idolatry. The one who leads and the ones being led into these evil practices will find the same destination according to the Bible. "And Jesus spoke a parable to them, Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch?" ~ Luke 6:39. God being sad for the sins of idolatry is an utter understatement, in fact He HATES, DETESTS, ABHORS, DESPISES the sin of idolatry. People refuse knowledge from God and His truth, they have their Bibles but wantonly disregard what the Bible teaches/instructs them because of tradition that they cannot let go. They willingly exchange truth for lies and wisdom for folly. "My people perish because of lack of knowledge" ~ Hosea 4:6

    If you have a Bible, please read Isaiah 44:9-20 and meditate on it like someone who diligently searches for the truth, and God will reward you with wisdom and discernment. God bless you brother.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Gawa 11:26
    26 At nang siya'y kaniyang masumpungan ay kaniyang dinala siya sa Antioquia. At nangyari, na sa buong isang taon sila'y nakisama sa iglesia, at nagsipagturo sa maraming tao; at ang mga alagad ay pinasimulang tawaging mga Cristiano, sa Antioquia.

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...