Thanks for your detailed response.
I actually do worry about the length of time you and others give to posts so much about or against the Catholics. "To me" it is such a rabbit hole..and I feel that satan is well pleased at the distraction that so many seasoned christians give to it. While you are busy doing that, you aren't posting anything fruitful or worthwhile to advance his kingdom , uplift any one or encouraging any visiting readers etc. ( but that is just my view of it...I know you feel differently)
I also see the 'sins' of catholicism different than you. I don't see you posting numerous posts against the Church of England....yet it is no better than the catholic church. Crosses, candle, incense, mitres, pomp, compromised , full of empty bones...and 'all embracing' to boot.
Many churches are way off beam....that is why I haven't been to one for about a decade...
Where you most likely read " Come out of her my people" as referring to the RC , I read it as about all the established , polished, organized ,money making churches on every street corner. For me, out means out.
" God has reserved for Himself 7,000 ( not literal, obviously) hearts who have not bowed the knee to Baal. "
Where we do agree is where you say:-
There are Christians in every church...but not all churches are Christian. Even within the final antichrist apostate church/state tyranny of Babylon the Great, that evil composite of ecumenism and nations of the world that will soon engulf the planet in a bloodbath of self righteous persecution against the small remnant that resisted her mark of authority, there will be a number of God's own people, genuine Christians misled and deceived, whom He calls out that they do not become prey to her sins and become engulfed in her judgement.
Yes I totally agree.
Nice to know we agree on a few things :)
All I'll say is, please take care that you aren't getting blinkered vision.
Our God is an awesome God, still doing wonders and changing hearts..still preparing His Bride, still speaking hidden truths to those who get quiet enough before Him to hear His still, small, loving voice.
I wish you every blessing....Helen.
In an effort to bring a more balanced perspective, I offer the following.
Jesus Christ. Who is He? Let us go to the scriptures to find out what and Who He claimed to be.
Mathew 12:6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple...
The temple, the priesthood, and the religious system including all the ceremonies, the sacrifices, and the law of the Jewish nation go hand in hand. It was the mainstay and focal point of the life of Israel. Yet Jesus claimed to be greater. Greater even than the very High priest who no doubt would take great interest in hearing a report of these words. Greater even than the law itself, because He was the lawgiver.
….38 ¶ Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here…
Jonah was the most powerful and successful of all OT prophets. In all 40 odd chapters of Jeremiah, there is no record of anyone at anytime taking the slightest bit of notice of anything Jeremiah said. Yet Jonah, on the strength of just one or two sermons, converted the entire city of Nineveh of the children of Ishmael totaling maybe 60,000 people. By any standards, that has got to be recorded as a very successful evangelistic campaign. Yet Jesus claimed to be greater than Jonah.
…42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
Solomon was the wisest and wealthiest and most successful of any ruler of the ancient world. Yet Jesus claimed to be greater even than Solomon.
He claimed to be a greater priest than the current high priest of Israel, He claimed to be a greater prophet than Jonah, and He claimed to be a greater King than Solomon. In these three startling claims, we have before us the threefold ministry of Jesus. Priest, prophet, and King.
It has been said, and I think wisely, that the Bible must be understood grammatically before it can be understood theologically.
Anti– as in antichrist, according to Strong’s concordance, and like other words having the prefix ‘anti’, means at it’s most basic form “in the room of”, “instead of”, or “in the place of”.
In other words, ‘antichrist’ stands as a
substitute. We all know that Satan works by deception. Yet many claim the ‘antichrist’ will be one who will charge in on a black horse guns blazing with fury and hatred directed at all things Christian and opposing with great force the church. Pray tell me, how will the world be deceived by such a tactic as this?
In 2 Thess. 2:1 we are told that there was to be a falling away first, which will reveal the antichrist, or as Paul describes him, the man of sin or son of perdition. Now falling away in this instance is a falling into apostasy; divorce.
Any divorce necessitates a prior favourable relationship. The only other example of a ‘son of perdition’ is Judas Iscariot. Did Judas openly and with force oppose Christ? Did he attack His teachings and disagree with Jesus claims to divinity? Did he argue and debate everything Jesus stood for and seek the destruction of His followers? No. Not by any means. Judas betrayed Jesus with a
kiss. He betrayed Him with an act of apparent love, fellowship, and friendship. He undermined and betrayed Jesus at the same time as claiming Him to be his friend!! This squares perfectly with the meaning of antichrist. He is not an open enemy, but a subtle traitor. And in a religious sense, a counterfeit. An impostor of Jesus Christ. A false copy, or forgery of the true.
Antichrist is therefore a person or power who impersonates the offices of Priesthood, the Prophet or spokesmanship, and the Kingly rule of Christ. The office that ministers for God, speaks for God, and rules for God.
Does such an entity sound like one that we should come to terms with...tolerate...?
Or should we repudiate every teaching that does not harmonise completely with the word of God? With the Antichrist...the counterfeit...we must be careful. Because his teachings will
appear to be in harmony with scripture, and he will most assuredly
claim that are in harmony with scripture. Thus there is only one way by which to unmask this traitor. By close, intense, unfettered scrutiny. Anything short of that aids his deceptions. Anything short of that will continue to allow him to be unrecognised...unmasked...
Of course any individual, or institution that comes under such scrutiny should be readily able and willing to allow such tests to take place yes? In order to vindicate his claims to truth? Will he protest such scrutiny, or will he present clear and indisputable evidence that he does indeed believe that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word of God?
