An observation about the Pope's funeral

sermonindex Apr 8, 2005

A short paragraph from an AP report about the funeral of Pope John Paul II:“The funeral drew millions to Rome for one of the largest religious gatherings of modern times. Presidents, prime ministers and kings joined pilgrims and prelates in St. Peter's Square on Friday to bid farewell to the pope.”Re:18:3: For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.Re:18:4: And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.Re:18:5: For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.Re:18:6: Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.Re:18:7: How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

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Angyl Apr 8, 2005

Interesting tie-in.

sermonindex Apr 8, 2005

Something more to add to this...In an interview with Katie Couric on NBC television, Franklin Graham also praised the Pope and claimed that they preach the same gospel. He said: "We disagree on a lot of doctrinal issues and I guess those disagreements will always be there. At the same time we did agree on the fundamentals that Jesus Christ is the son of the living God who came to this earth to die for our sins and when he died on that cross and shed his blood he took the sins of the world with him on the cross; and if we confess our sins and repent and by faith receive Christ into our hearts God will forgive us and cleanse us. These are fundamentals of the faith we agreed on and support and we appreciate this man and the stand he has taken on so many of these moral issues." I'm glad that Franklin believes and preaches the gospel described in this testimony, but he seriously misrepresented the Pope's gospel. The late Pope believed that salvation by grace alone through Christ alone by faith alone is heresy(see the anathemas of the Council of Trent). He believed that the sacraments are a necessary part of salvation, beginning with baptism (whereby one is born again, according to the Catholic Church), continuing in Confirmation, (whereby one receives the Holy Spirit, according to the Catholic Church). Someone might get offended that I bring all this up on the day of the Pope's funeral... but since the Roman Catholic Church has the spotlight, what better time to be real and honest about it's false doctrines and heresies.I caught the "Litany of the Saints" on Fox News this morning while sipping some freshly brewed coffee. I wondered, while millions of people prayed to these "saints"... I wondered to myself if these folks had ever read their Bibles?The Bible says that necromancy (praying to the dead for divination) is an abomination: "There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee."(Deuteronomy 18:10-12)

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Rahman Apr 8, 2005

You know Krisp what you've written is more than just a notion ...i've sat and watched numerous programs on JP II and have been astounded by the enormous (and increasing i might add) influence he and the catholic popes/church have over governments (especially western), and a whole lot of it often covertly applied ... Look at the hand JP II played in the demise of The Soviet Union, one program even going as far to say that JP II sent a lot of money to aid Lech Welesa/Poland in the early days ... i wonder whose money? ... It certainly has become even plainer to me why it'll be so easy for God to cause the beast government to turn on her as the meddlesome "harlot", as i'm sure their are governments right now who'd love to nuke Vatican City and company right off the map ...Watching all that has transpired after JP II's death for me has been like sitting in front of the TV watching The Revelation unfold before my very eyes ... All this praise, honor and creature worshipping idolotry of one man at his death, amongst such overdone sanctimonious pagentry and ostentatious wealth of empire, who supposedly followed in the footsteps of a lowly fisherman named Peter, who followed God on earth who came here not even having a place to lay his head ... What's wrong with this picture? ... These are wondrous times in which we live ...

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Rahman Apr 8, 2005

Krisp,As for brother Graham (and others) who for whatever the reason are attempting to make nice-nice with JP II's memory because they don't want to buck the current worldly trend of "oh what a great man of God we've lost" ... My own personal opinion is if these so called "premier" Protestant spiritual leaders had as much "savor" as JP II had "clout", they'd be more like John the Baptist in seperating "the rubber from the road" ... For that matter as should any of the least of us ... It seems a shame to me for anyone to put in as much time, attention and good works say as a JP II, only to get before our Lord to have Him say, "Get away from me you worker of lawlessness, i know you not" ... i know that JP II was head of a religious organization 1 billion strong, steeped in error, and so what keeps resounding in my head every time i hear some newscaster say what a great man JP II was is, "But what does Christ say"? ... His is the only opinion that counts ...There are some things we so called "protestants" may wonder about as spiritual error, there are others that we straight up know is "error" ... To associate oneself with such "error" when we know better, just to save face or go along with the program is willful sin to me ... If a saint would go along with such compromise so as not avoid being verbally ridiculed by men, what would that same saint compromise moreso at the threat of death? ... Something to think about ...

sermonindex Apr 8, 2005

Power stuff, Rahman. I'm with ya.As I read both your posts a scripture came to mind:Matthew 12:30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.Notice as you watch the funeral how there is such a canyon between the "clergy" and the "laymen". The clergy all have their robes on... a lot of them are scarlet... large white hats on their heads... meanwhile, the people are kept at bay. These clergy view themselves as mediators between God and man.But the Bible says: 1Tim 2:5,6 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.I dont know any priest who has given his life as a ransom for my sin!But instead, the priest and the Catholic Church actually stand in the way of a person coming to God! Thru their traditions and rituals, they have shut the door to God. What does Jesus say about this?Matthew 23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.But thats not what God wants. Isnt it comforting to know that God wants to commune with us personally?? One on one! Hallelujah! Scripture says:2 Cor 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.And isnt it interesting how rich the Catholic Church is... and isnt even more interesting that the color of many of it's costumes is... scarlet...Rev 17:3-4 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication...Everyone has now seen the riches of the Vatican. It's wonderful architecture, it's art, and it's palaces. But does the Spirit of God reside there?No... we're told by Stephen where the Spirit of God dwells. He said this moments before he was murdered for speaking against the "religious" leaders...Ac:7:48-50 Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? Hath not my hand made all these things?And Paul went on to further explain...1Cor 3:16-17: Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.Was John Paul II a "good man"? Certainly he was a great humanitarian. No one can deny that. I believe his intentions were commendable. I think we could all learn a lesson from anyone who does much good for people.But we must not loose sight of the Word of God. No one is righteous before God on their own merit. If we put our faith in anything other than Jesus for our salvation, we are lost. Salvation is a free gift, and we can not earn it. We are not saved by baptism, or joining the Catholic Church. We are not co-redeemed by Mary. We can not pray to dead saints. We can not trust in a false religion.So what are we to think of the "position" of Pope? Well, first off, there has never been any proof that Peter was ever in Rome. Thats a Catholic "tradition". Is the anti-Christ going to be a pope? No... but I believe the papacy is a "fore-shadowing" of the anti-Christ. Just like in the OT the temple sacrifices were a fore-shadowing of Christ. There were many "types of Christs". The papacy is a fore-shadowing of the anti-Christ.Dont believe me...? Check this out:2Thess 2:3-4 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.Stay strong...Krispy

sermonindex Apr 8, 2005

lol... ya know what? I just wrote my teaching for this Sunday! I just need to twink it a little, and then I can kick back and enjoy my weekend now!Krispy

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Rahman Apr 8, 2005

Krispy you wrote;"So what are we to think of the "position" of Pope"? How about: The position of satanically inspired human usurption over the rightful authority of the true promoter and leader of Christ church namely the Holy Spirit ... That's what saddens me most when i see a pope (and now they're about to elect another one), a man who has allowed himself to be placed in the leadership stead of Holy Spirit ... Popery, Cardinals, etc. reek of Nicolaitanism, which God straight up tell us He hates ... Demigods lording over the people, wrongly interpreting scripture and adding and promoting heritical doctrines to poor souls who know more about whats in a Catholic Cathecism than the inspired Word of God ... - Displacement of the role of Christ & the Holy Spirit ...- Praying to Mary ...- Praying to saints ...- Praying to angels ...- Literal idols- Confessing to men ...- Being absolved of sin by men ...- etc ...Many of the above reasons to me is why JP II attempted to make nice-nice with we Protestants, to markedly curb our outspokeness on what we know to be serious spiritual error ... Just like his attempts to rejoin the Roman Church with the Easter Orthodox Church, he wanted Protestantism to come back under the wings of the Church of Rome ... That to me would be as ridiculous as my returning to the JW's after being taught of Holy Ghost what the real truth of scripture is ... i have no intention of being rude in a judgmental way to any Catholic that the Lord may have cross my path, that wouldn't be Christlike, but neither would it be Christlike if i didn't allow Holy Spirit to witness the truth to them thru me ... That's what all we saved folk are here for, to be a true witness of the truth of Jesus Christ ... i think the Roman Church's usurption of placing themselves above Holy Spirit as overseer of the Body was a demonic conspiracy that even Protestanism today hasn't even fully recovered from yet ... i personally believe that's why Holy Spirit is as much a puzzle to as many saints today as is The Revelation ... i often wonder sometimes what Christianity would be like today if it were not intermingled with the Empire of Rome, if there never was a Roman Church and Popery, no slaughter of the European pagans, or the Crusades, just believers down thru the centuries led only by the Spirit of God ... But of course God already knew about the Roman Church for when He inspired John to write about the great harlot in what (96 ad) the birth of the Roman Church's usurption was still then future ... This is my greatest consolation right here that God knows it all and has all under control.

sermonindex Apr 8, 2005

How about: The position of satanically inspired human usurption over the rightful authority of the true promoter and leader of Christ church namely the Holy Spirit ... I wish you'd stop beating around the bush and just say what you really think... LOLI heard a guy on the news the other night say "I hope they dont take too long electing a new pope... right now we're lost! We dont have any leader, and we need one... we're alone right now."It's too bad this man doesnt understand that the Holy Spirit was sent to be with us... and Jesus is the head of the church.Krispy

sermonindex Apr 8, 2005

By the way... just for the record, I refuse to call myself a "Protestant". There has always been a remnant of true believers... even in the Dark Ages. The Protestantism of the Reformation produced a lot of "Catholic lite" theology... No, I consider myself "remnant". I trace my roots back to the 1st century AD, not the 15th.Krispy

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Angyl Apr 8, 2005

PREACH IT, BOY!Never considered myself a "protestant" either. That's mainly a lie thrown around by the catholics (along with the idea that Peter was "THEIR" first pope) in order to try to prove some superiority...But the anabaptists and more go all the way back to pretty much day ONE. I number my (spiritual) ancestors among that crowd, not the Lutherans, methodists, or any other "catholic-lite" traditions.

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IRONMAN Apr 9, 2005

I was amazed myself at hoe much media time the pope got, I mean after the 1st day I was all poped out...I mean on every single channel...even the tabloid channels...it was crazy. IT was...disgusting. How the church has changed from what ot was at it's first inception. Poor people with little to live for giving all they had and the were to a man who called himself the son of God and asked them to follow him. Once the church existed for Him to serve Him unto death, but now the church exists to serve itself. There is no power in the church as we know it now for there is no Spirit in it. It is depsairing how many people have their faith in this system of deception.

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IRONMAN Apr 9, 2005

you know bro krisp et al, the word saint is used often in the bible and it seems to point to people who are believers in Christ as being saints. it seems as though the word has since been blown up to mean something it shouldn't. I mean isn't sainthood being a believer in Christ? is that not the only criterion (believing in Christ meaning being born again and living in the spirit etc) as opposed to the incorruptibility, being able to live in the host alone etc as per the catholic church?

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IRONMAN Apr 9, 2005

WOE unto all who have misled the children of God for the children's blood will be on their hands. WOe unto all who exault themselves over God the father, son and Holy ghost for they shall be cut down with great vengence and furious anger.