From Catholic to Christian

[Katy-follower]

Thank you very much dear, I cannot stop living with my mother because of economic and also other reasons, but I will use my convivence with her as a means to train in my new faith. Every time she tells something gruesome to me, I will pray the Lord to protect me. It will help me gain strength. I have already told her I am not going to go to the Catholic church anymore. She couldn't care less. So it's up to me, me husband, the Scriptures and our prayer. Today for the first time, in spite of being still very very hurt for what she said to me today, I am feeling a little bit more loved by God and less self-loathing

I once had a similar issue to you, but with my father-in-law (a non believer). He was causing me all kinds of grief and I was feeling inferior to him. God taught me a lot, especially about humility. He showed me how weak my FIL truly is, that he's another sinner who is weak in comparison with God Almighty.. and one in desperate need of God's mercy also. This lesson really humbled me and made me feel sorry for him. It completely changed the way I viewed him and I felt such peace, knowing that God is in control and much more powerful than any created being

Since that time, my relationship wth my FIL has forever changed. As you can see, I was not off the hook as God was teaching ME about humility

I wanted to share this, in the hope it will be encouraging.

Pray about it, and also pray for your mother.

A lot have given you advice here, but feel free to PM me if you need anything.


1 Peter 5:5-7: “God resists the proud But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you"

 

[Iamlearning]

Am Happy for You knowing the truth and accepting it.It is of ur heart now that you accept to change , now change your ways do as it is written in the scripture
exhibit Christ like style and and pray for the holy spirit who will teach U all thing.
look for a living church where true word of God is spoken to join for the edification of Ur spirit. God Bless

Thank you for the bottom of my heart, I will indeed pray for the Holy Spirit to change me and transform me into a new creation, able to bear my crosses. Thank you very much many many Blessings

 

[Iamlearning]

I once had a similar issue to you, but with my father-in-law (a non believer). He was causing me all kinds of grief and I was feeling inferior to him. God taught me a lot, especially about humility. He showed me how weak my FIL truly is, that he's another sinner who is weak in comparison with God Almighty.. and one in desperate need of God's mercy also. This lesson really humbled me and made me feel sorry for him. It completely changed the way I viewed him and I felt such peace, knowing that God is in control and much more powerful than any created being

Since that time, my relationship wth my FIL has forever changed. As you can see, I was not off the hook as God was teaching ME about humility

I wanted to share this, in the hope it will be encouraging.

Pray about it, and also pray for your mother.

A lot have given you advice here, but feel free to PM me if you need anything.


1 Peter 5:5-7: “God resists the proud But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you"

Thank you for sharing me your experience, I really wish it was true that my family is capable of healing. It's been all my life fighting against the devil of rage and cruelty that possesses my mother and that no human love can assuage. I think it has to do with this teaching of deep self-loathing, but I will keep on praying to the Holy Spirit to help us change our family situation. I am glad you could solve this problem with your FIL. May God be blessed for his mercy on our burdens. Many many many Blessings.

 

[Iamlearning]

Belonging to a Roman Catholic Church does not make anyone a Roman Catholic any more than belonging to a Protestant church makes someone a Protestant Christian. Furthermore, a good Roman Catholic is as good a Christian as a good Protestant. That which you have described in your post is not Catholicism—it is the antithesis of it!

I am not a Roman Catholic, and I have never been one, but some of the very finest Christians that I have known have been Roman Catholics. Indeed, the man in whom I have most clearly seen the love of Jesus Christ was the rector of a Roman Catholic cathedral. He and I spent 90 minutes together in his office at the cathedral sharing each others beliefs and practices, and their strengths and weakness. He freely admitted that the members of His congregation lacked the level of knowledge of the Bible that he has seen in many Protestants, and that that was a serious concern for him.

The lack of biblical knowledge on the part of the Roman Catholic Church itself has in recent times also been of great concern to the Church. On the 30th of September, 1943, Pope Pius XII issued an encyclical directing Roman Catholic exegetes of the Scriptures to take full advantage of the findings of contemporary biblical, archaeological, cultural, and linguistic research when interpreting the Scriptures. Some of the fruit of this encyclical has been the scholarship of Roman Catholic biblical scholars such as Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and Luke Timothy Johnson.

The Second Vatican Council (also known as Vatican II) that took place in October, 1962 through December I, 1965 was another fruit of this encyclical. If these things are not familiar to you, you may want to consider becoming a real Roman Catholic with contemporary Roman Catholic values.

Christians are people, and people are not perfect. Therefore, their churches are not perfect, and their doctrines are not perfect. In my opinion, some of the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church that are based upon traditions rather than the Scriptures are in error, but not nearly as severely in error as the Calvinistic doctrines that have infiltrated very many Protestant churches during the past 500 years.

I believe that God is very much more concerned about how we live our lives in relationship with Him and in relationship with the people around us than He is concerned about the details of our theology. There are good and bad Roman Catholic Churches; and there are good and bad Protestant churches. So, where does God desire for you to worship and fellowship? Sometimes, staying in a bad church is the best choice if by staying there one can avoid alienating family members, and instead help them come to a much better relationship with Christ through one’s own example. Sometimes, however, the best choice is to leave and find a good church. Very often, the grass is greener on the other side of the fence—until you climb over the fence and live there for a while! God is very familiar with both sides of the fence, and when we faithfully and diligently seek his will for our lives, He reveals that will to us.

May God bless you and lead you as you faithfully and diligently seek his will regarding this matter.

Thank you for your answer and nice to meet you, I have no doubts whatsoever that there are wonderful people in the Roman Catholic Church and thank God for that, I was referring to my particular education of adorating idols (one of them money) and obeying other individuals who are very often judgemental and holier-than-thou and that instill a sense of self-loathe in you because I am still to find real forgiveness at the Roman Catholic Church. Oh no, the labels remain regardless of what you do or how much you confess. I am not inventing this because I have seen it in my two families, there is apart from loads of gossip some sort of adoration of eternal guilt and despair and punishment. I am sure many people follow the Roman Catholic Church doctrines rightly but it was not my experience. In my experience there was a glorification of agony and self-loathe and pain. Some people still use scourge. If you don't believe me, just look for popular images of Spanish Lent and Easter, here is an example:

God died for our sins very painfully and horribly and brutally but there is an undeniable glorification of his torture at the Calvary in the Spanish culture that by very very far surpasses the fact of Resurrection Pentecost and the Holy Spirit and even let me say Salvation. The most popular images all along Spain are brutally beaten Christs (the more beaten the better) and desperately crying Virgins all of them covered in flowers and jewels. This is bad, sorry to say this. I remember watching these images as a child perhaps five years old and thinking if I am a good person like this man on the cross the "baddies" will also beat the hell out of me and make me bleed my guts. I still haven't been able to get rid of this idea completely, because of the generous glorification of torture of God instead of the positive and crucial message of Resurrection and Pentecost and being Saved by Grace and God's Generosity. This permeates in your culture, and makes you glorify pain agony and torture of Jesus Christ, almost everybody celebrates the death of Christ in Lent and Easter (Semana Santa) and many many people participate but a great deal of those forget what comes next altogether. I think this is not good culturally speaking and not uplifting. Just my 2 cents and open for any kind of debate and opinion God bless you.

You can research it yourself, Spanish Semana Santa, many many people participate who completely forget about the church the rest of the year, it's like a social event of sorts. People gather in brotherhoods (cofradías) but it's more a social club than anything. These brotherhoods all make reference to the torture and bleeding of Christ or the desperate pain of the Virgin Mary. My poor father beloged to one. It was called "The Christ of the Agony". This is what I am referring to.

 

[Iamlearning]

I think you are wise to leave the Roman Catholic church in your circumstances . You need to begin all over again (with your husband if possible) in a church where they proclaim the Gospel and give you good teaching.

Firstly, and most importantly, you need to make sure that you are right with God. This involves recognising your own sin and wrongdoing. Go to Him in prayer and tell Him how you see yourself openly and honestly. Recognise that God loves you and that Jesus Christ died for your sins and has taken the penalty for them in your place (John 3.16; Rm 5.8-9). Then thank Him for doing so and ask Him to come into your life and give you a 'new birth' (John 1.12-13; 3.1-6). Ask Him to be your Savior. He bore your sin in His own body on the tree (1 Peter 2.20), so that you being dead to sin, might begin to live a godly life in the power of that new birth by the Spirit. Then tell others what He has done for you, and that He is now your Savior.

Secondly with regard to your mother. Ask God to give you a love for her, and when she starts ranting and raving again, just quietly commit it to God in prayer and say nothing. Then when there is a gap in her ranting say to her with a smile, 'I love you mother.' Then pray quietly again. Do the same with other members of the family,

Thirdly I think your decision is a wise one. Your Roman Catholic church is obviously not one to which you should belong. It is giving you all the wrong signals. Seek out a church where the Gospel is preached and where you feel a sense of peace and love. It may not be the first church which you try. But when you do find it stick with it.

Then try and witness what you are doing. But wait for the right opportunity and do it gently. There will probably be an explosion, but say nothing at first. Let the explosion subside. Do not speak at the time. Later you may reply, but gently.

But at all times make sure that you spend a time each day in reading the Bible and praying. Get to know God and the Lord Jesus Christ. I would recommend that you start your Bible reading with John's Gospel, and then with the other Gospels.

But remember above all things love. You must try to do all things in love with God as your helper. God bless you..

Thank you very much for your advice, I will start a new life reading the Gospel (you already recommended me John and Romans, I remember it well) and pursuing a personal relationship with God beyond what other people might consider or think. I still need to learn a lot about love, particularly about my family, my enemies, my past, but I hope God will help me with that. God bless you always thank you

 

[Depleted]

Thank you very much for your kind words of advice, I was also peeking into the New Age once, Yoga and such, perfect waste of money at best. God saved me too and I believe I am going through a process of purification until I become worthy of having the Holy Spirit in my body and soul. I believe Love will help me, the Scriptures, Faith. Unfortunately we all have life-long extreme trials and my mum is one of those, there is no way I can escape her even after I'm being married, something always happens, or economic problems, whatever. My mum is my cross. She was my father's cross all his life, he died of many illnesses four years ago. She used to abuse him a lot now she needs someone else because he's dead so here I am to replace. May God have mercy on me, because I have already fallen ill with OCD these last years, and I am getting worse since my father's death. But I believe God won't forsake a daughter of His. I'm not that worthless, He will help me. And if He does not, I will give my life to Him and accept it. Let it be His Will. God bless you always.

You aren't worthy of the Holy Spirit, nor can you become pure enough to ever be. None of us are, nor can. That is why Jesus died in our stead. He is worthy. He is our worthy. The Lord is in you to purify you, but that isn't the same thing as you purifying yourself. You can't. Something like trying to make a silk purse out of an old sow's ear. Only the Lord can turn us from pigskin to silk. The best we can do is be willing to take the pain of the process.

He has you because he chose you, not for anything you've earned. And he chose you out of his love, not out of your love. (Wasn't that long ago that you didn't love him. Eternally, he loves you.)

Your worth is in him. Don't aim for your worth. Keep your focus on him and what he wants. (For you to love him fully and to love others as yourself.) In that alone is our worth. But it's a big worth.

Your mother isn't your cross. She is to be honored despite not being honorable. And the only way to do that is to let the Lord work in you. Love her like God loves you -- by knowing who you are and choosing to love you anyway. And the only way to pull that off is to let God work through you. (45 years of learning how to love my dad, who has never been the easiest person to love, speaking here.)

 

[Iamlearning]

You aren't worthy of the Holy Spirit, nor can you become pure enough to ever be. None of us are, nor can. That is why Jesus died in our stead. He is worthy. He is our worthy. The Lord is in you to purify you, but that isn't the same thing as you purifying yourself. You can't. Something like trying to make a silk purse out of an old sow's ear. Only the Lord can turn us from pigskin to silk. The best we can do is be willing to take the pain of the process.

He has you because he chose you, not for anything you've earned. And he chose you out of his love, not out of your love. (Wasn't that long ago that you didn't love him. Eternally, he loves you.)

Your worth is in him. Don't aim for your worth. Keep your focus on him and what he wants. (For you to love him fully and to love others as yourself.) In that alone is our worth. But it's a big worth.

Your mother isn't your cross. She is to be honored despite not being honorable. And the only way to do that is to let the Lord work in you. Love her like God loves you -- by knowing who you are and choosing to love you anyway. And the only way to pull that off is to let God work through you. (45 years of learning how to love my dad, who has never been the easiest person to love, speaking here.)

I will take care of your advice, thank you for speaking clearly to me, there are still many things I don't understand. I will rely on the Lord our Saviour first and foremost and definitely. Thank you because I am learning a lot thanks to you and now I see how little did I know bout anything at all. Many many blessings and love

 

[Iamlearning]

I hear you sister...and God hears you too!

I hear your pain and misery and desperation.
We, on these forums are far from you but God is not.
God has love and compassion for you that no human language can ever express.

Sister, His hand is outstretched toward you even now - take it!
Just pray directly to Jesus Christ - no need to use formal language, just talk to Him like you would talk to another person.
Confess your sins to Him, just tell Him that you know you are a sinner and that you understand that the death He died on the cross, and the blood that He shed, is for the forgiveness of your sins.
Ask him to forgive you your sins.
Then ask God to send His Holy Spirit to dwell within you.

God wants to be in personal relationship with you - no mediator required, no priests to get in the way - just you and God. He actually knows all about your issues, in fact He knows things about you that you do not know about yourself.
And He loves you!
He loves you and He cannot wait to fellowship with you.
Tell Him about your problems and challenges - ask Him for help - do not be shy.

Ask Him to reveal Himself to you in the way that He really is.
I presume that you do have a Bible - read it and ask God to reveal to you what it means.
My suggestion is to start in the New Testament - Matthew onwards - but don't be shy to ask God for His opinion!

While, to some degree people on this forum can help you and start discipling you this will not be a substitute for the sort of fellowship and discipling you will need.
So, the question arises: are there any Protestant churches in your part of Spain that you could approach?
Another issue would be how your family might respond if they knew you what you were doing.
I do not want to advise you to do things that might result in harm to you.

Also going forward it may be preferable to correspond through the personal messaging on this site.
I would be happy to help guide you.
Perhaps Blue Ladybug would also be happy to assist in this.

Grace and peace to you my sister

Hi dear, first of all thank you for your response, I left it as the last because it was one of the ones that touched me more profoundly. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. This is the kind of feeling that I would like to have when talking about God, loving, full of faith that the Lord stretched His hand and covers me and my family. I don't know about any Protestant churches but I am certain there must be some and they will be welcome, I will practice my English listening more too hearing the Scripture! As for my family, my husband knows my decision and my mother doesn't care, I am leaving her in the hands of God so that He takes care of her as well as He takes care of my worries and problems. We are going to do fine and I am going to learn to love my mother, I don't know how but the will is there and I am sincere. I will accept it as a test that God puts in front of me and also I will try to look at her with compassion instead of being hurt of the things she says to me. I can't promise anything but I will do my best in this asking for the Lord's guidance at all times. Thank you for so many caring advice. Much much Love and Blessings. Thank you again.

 

[Jimbone]

Although I do see, in your post, some the typical animosity that often accompanies leaving the Catholic church (or any other authoritarian group), I am excited for you. Just try to keep in mind that all those Catholics mean every bit as much to God as any Protestant, and He loves them just as much as anyone else.

Also, not everything Catholic is to be shunned.... just redirected and more clearly understood through the eyes of Jesus. The Eucharist is one of those things. The Communication of the remembrance of Jesus is not something to even consider forsaking.

Man Willie, while I agree to a certain degree with what you are saying, in the sense she shouldn't shun everything the RCC teaches, simply because it's RCC. Yes they do have some truth mixed in with it, but then you mention the Eucharist??? Really? I agree with what you said as far as “The Communication of the remembrance of Jesus”, but you must be ignorant of what the Eucharist is in Catholic mass. Yes we are to “share communion in remembrance” just like Jesus commands us, but that is not what it is in the RCC. According to the RCC the Eucharist is a sacrifice, it is a work intended to help buy salvation. They believe that it literally turns into the physical body and blood of Jesus so they can offer it as a sacrifice for their sin again, and again, and again, and again. That concept is foreign to the bible, unless you can educate me and show me where that’s found. The Roman catholic Eucharist is not the same thing you just described, besides outside of the RCC I’ve always just heard it called Communion.

 

[BillG]

Man Willie, while I agree to a certain degree with what you are saying, in the sense she shouldn't shun everything the RCC teaches, simply because it's RCC. Yes they do have some truth mixed in with it, but then you mention the Eucharist??? Really? I agree with what you said as far as “The Communication of the remembrance of Jesus”, but you must be ignorant of what the Eucharist is in Catholic mass. Yes we are to “share communion in remembrance” just like Jesus commands us, but that is not what it is in the RCC. According to the RCC the Eucharist is a sacrifice, it is a work intended to help buy salvation. They believe that it literally turns into the physical body and blood of Jesus so they can offer it as a sacrifice for their sin again, and again, and again, and again. That concept is foreign to the bible, unless you can educate me and show me where that’s found. The Roman catholic Eucharist is not the same thing you just described, besides outside of the RCC I’ve always just heard it called Communion.

I went to a Catholic School (although I am not Catholic)

Once in assembly when we were having the Eucharist one of the wafers was dropped on the floor.

there was mass hysteria and that area was cordoned off.

 

[mailmandan]

According to the RCC the Eucharist is a sacrifice, it is a work intended to help buy salvation. They believe that it literally turns into the physical body and blood of Jesus so they can offer it as a sacrifice for their sin again, and again, and again, and again.

That is the false doctrine of "transubstantiation."

Jesus is the Bread of Life. Just as bread nourishes our physical bodies, Jesus gives and sustains eternal life to all believers. "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." (John 6:35) As He was accustomed, Jesus used figurative language to emphasize these great spiritual truths. Jesus explains the sense of the entire passage when He says, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63)

The literal interpretation is absurd and revolting, leading to cannibalism and the drinking of blood contrary to the commandment of God. No eating of any flesh can give spiritual life. By faith we partake of Christ, and the benefits of His bodily sacrifice on the cross and the merits of His shed blood, receiving and enjoying eternal life. Eating and drinking is not with the mouth and the digestive organs of our bodies, but the reception of God’s grace by believing in Christ, as He makes abundantly clear by repeating the same truths both in metaphoric and plain language. Compare for example the following two verses:

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life” (v47).

“He who eats this bread will live forever” (v58).

“He who believes” in Christ is equivalent to “he who eats this bread” because the result is the same, eternal life. The parallel is even more striking between verses 40 and 54:

“Everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day” (v40).

“Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (v54).

John 6 does not afford any support to the false Roman Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation. On the contrary, it is an emphatic statement on the primacy of faith as the means by which we receive the grace of God. Jesus is the Bread of Life; we eat of Him and are satisfied when we believe in Him.

Bread represents the "staff of life." Sustenance. That which essential to sustain life. Just as bread or sustenance is necessary to maintain physical life, Jesus is all the sustenance necessary for spiritual life.

The source of physical life is blood -- "life is in the blood." As with the bread, just as blood is the empowering or source of life physically, Jesus is all the source of spiritual life necessary.

 

[notuptome]

Man Willie, while I agree to a certain degree with what you are saying, in the sense she shouldn't shun everything the RCC teaches, simply because it's RCC. Yes they do have some truth mixed in with it, but then you mention the Eucharist??? Really? I agree with what you said as far as “The Communication of the remembrance of Jesus”, but you must be ignorant of what the Eucharist is in Catholic mass. Yes we are to “share communion in remembrance” just like Jesus commands us, but that is not what it is in the RCC. According to the RCC the Eucharist is a sacrifice, it is a work intended to help buy salvation. They believe that it literally turns into the physical body and blood of Jesus so they can offer it as a sacrifice for their sin again, and again, and again, and again. That concept is foreign to the bible, unless you can educate me and show me where that’s found. The Roman catholic Eucharist is not the same thing you just described, besides outside of the RCC I’ve always just heard it called Communion.

I have never supported the contention that a true believer can participate in the RCC communion. You are quite correct to state that they impress upon the communion many concepts that are against the biblical truth and the virtue of Christ.

For the cause of Christ
Roger

 

[Rockrz]

try to keep in mind that all those Catholics mean every bit as much to God as any Protestant

That's false... we must agree with Gopd and come to Him on His terms... not on the terms of false doctrine.

This person has caused the angels in Heaven to rejoice as they do when one turns from darkness to light by accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

When one practices a false religion such as catholik-ism... Heaven certainly isn't rejoicing.

Does God love them, yes... does He accept them, NO!... not unless they repent from darkness and accept Jesus and start walking with Him.

The Eucharist is one of those things

Now, you are advocating for satanic teaching! You should repent, that was a sin to tell them to continue in dark arts!

Transubstantiation (catholiks eucharist, their so-called communion) teaches that the substance of the communion offering (bread, wine) is changed into both the literal body and blood of Christ.

To them it's a magic trick as they believe they are literally eating the flesh and blood of Jesus... which is satanic ritual because cannibalism and vampirism are sinful never being acceptable by the Lord.

Yeah, when taking communion, people should do it as the Bible teaches... not as demons teach which is how catholiks do communion or eucharist as they call it.

I don't think I can get rid of the statues, they are hers and they were expensive

Eh, when she's not looking throw a towel or bedsheet over them.

And remember, a soft answer turns away wrath... no need to start arguing with her over any of this.

According to the RCC the Eucharist is a sacrifice, it is a work intended to help buy salvation

Exactly... it's false teaching fo sho

 

[Willie-T]

That's false... we must agree with Gopd and come to Him on His terms... not on the terms of false doctrine.
This person has caused the angels in Heaven to rejoice as they do when one turns from darkness to light by accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
When one practices a false religion such as catholik-ism... Heaven certainly isn't rejoicing.
Does God love them, yes... does He accept them, NO!... not unless they repent from darkness and accept Jesus and start walking with Him.
Now, you are advocating for satanic teaching! You should repent, that was a sin to tell them to continue in dark arts!
Transubstantiation (catholiks eucharist, their so-called communion) teaches that the substance of the communion offering (bread, wine) is changed into both the literal body and blood of Christ.
To them it's a magic trick as they believe they are literally eating the flesh and blood of Jesus... which is satanic ritual because cannibalism and vampirism are sinful never being acceptable by the Lord.
Yeah, when taking communion, people should do it as the Bible teaches... not as demons teach which is how catholiks do communion or eucharist as they call it.
Eh, when she's not looking throw a towel or bedsheet over them.
And remember, a soft answer turns away wrath... no need to start arguing with her over any of this.
Exactly... it's false teaching fo sho

You've got quite a bit of confused sickness going on there, Rock.

 

[Rockrz]

You've got quite a bit of confused sickness going on there, Rock.

Yeah right... it's only fitting that someone who advocates for false practices of catholiks would call someone opposed to those practices as confused and sick.

We'll see in the end who is confused and sick!
This is all part of the end times falling away while thinkin they still be OK

 

[garee]

Hi dear, first of all thank you for your response, I left it as the last because it was one of the ones that touched me more profoundly. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. This is the kind of feeling that I would like to have when talking about God, loving, full of faith that the Lord stretched His hand and covers me and my family. I don't know about any Protestant churches but I am certain there must be some and they will be welcome, I will practice my English listening more too hearing the Scripture! As for my family, my husband knows my decision and my mother doesn't care, I am leaving her in the hands of God so that He takes care of her as well as He takes care of my worries and problems. We are going to do fine and I am going to learn to love my mother, I don't know how but the will is there and I am sincere. I will accept it as a test that God puts in front of me and also I will try to look at her with compassion instead of being hurt of the things she says to me. I can't promise anything but I will do my best in this asking for the Lord's guidance at all times. Thank you for so many caring advice. Much much Love and Blessings. Thank you again.

Leaving one denomination in a hope that comes from hearing God of finding another as did Saul when he left the Pharisees sect (denomination) and came under the leadership of Nazarene sect can be like gluing together two pieces of paper, some part stay, the other moves on.

Patience, the first works of His love working in us must come. If He has begun the good work he will finish it.

Coming from a denomination where it is necessary to seek the approval of men (seen) before a person can believe God, not seen, like the Pope can be a slow process of trusting the unseen.(the faith principle). Keep in mind God causes the growth no matter how much studying we do. in order to try and keep us humble . He says in a parable; if you eat honey in respect to His word be careful not to eat to much or we will vomit up the little he has given.

“How we hear God” who is not a man as us to what His Spirit says to the churches can help a person not to become like the antichrists’ we are warned of. They insist we do need a man to teach us as if they alone heard the voice of God.

1Jo 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

The warning that comforts us…exposing the methodology of the father of lies reads...

These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that "any man teach you": but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. 1Jo 2:26

 

[Rockrz]

Leaving one denomination in a hope that comes from hearing God of finding another

This is different in that this person is coming out of a dark, false religion into becoming a Christian.

cathloholics is not just another denomination... it is a false religion that does not adhere to the doctrine of Jesus and His Apostles.

 

[Ariel82]

Thank you very much, I think I will stick to the Neo Catechumenals. As for the guy who was talking to me about the Pentecostals and speaking quite normally with me and suddenly triggered a videoconference with me making obscene gestures so I am not going to that congregation not meet that person thank you

NeoCatechumenals

Aren't they still Catholic?

 

[Angela53510]

Thank you very much for your kind words of advice, I was also peeking into the New Age once, Yoga and such, perfect waste of money at best. God saved me too and I believe I am going through a process of purification until I become worthy of having the Holy Spirit in my body and soul. I believe Love will help me, the Scriptures, Faith. Unfortunately we all have life-long extreme trials and my mum is one of those, there is no way I can escape her even after I'm being married, something always happens, or economic problems, whatever. My mum is my cross. She was my father's cross all his life, he died of many illnesses four years ago. She used to abuse him a lot now she needs someone else because he's dead so here I am to replace. May God have mercy on me, because I have already fallen ill with OCD these last years, and I am getting worse since my father's death. But I believe God won't forsake a daughter of His. I'm not that worthless, He will help me. And if He does not, I will give my life to Him and accept it. Let it be His Will. God bless you always.

The Holy Spirit comes into our hearts when we are saved. There is no need to "purify" yourself, or make yourself worthy of Christ. For one thing, we are not ever going to be worthy in our own selves. That is exactly the point of Jesus coming to die on the cross. He is the only perfect one, and he is the only one who can save us. We are all sinners!

"as it is written:There is no one righteous, not even one.
11 There is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away;
all alike have become useless.
There is no one who does what is good,
not even one." Romans 3:10-12

"23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23

So, because we do not have it in us to be saved, or for that matter, to grow and be sanctified, we have to trust in God from the moment he saves us. Only God can change us.

"For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— 9 not from works, so that no one can boast." Eph. 2:8-9

The problem with the Catholic Church, is that it gets the order of salvation wrong. It thinks that first, we have to be sanctified, or made holy. And that continues till the day we die, when we are justified. Then the Catholic Church adds purgatory, a man-invented place, where supposedly God's people have to continue to suffer, until one day, somehow, through masses and prayers, the person is deemed good enough to be glorified.

But that is NOT what the Bible teaches. It teaches that first we are justified!

1. Justification - God calls us, justifies us, or makes us righteous in him, and we are saved by him.

"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God." Romans 5:1-2

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." 2 Cor. 5:17

2. Sanctification - this is the process that the Holy Spirit does in our hearts and lives, once we are saved. It takes us our whole life, but it is not something we can do on our own. We simply cannot "purify" ourselves without the Holy Spirit to lead, guide and transform us. This is another Catholic myth. God transforms us, which is the process of being sanctified.

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2

"But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. 14 To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Thess. 2:13-14

"2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:May grace and peace be multiplied to you. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," 1 Peter 2:2-3

We simply cannot sanctify or purify ourselves. As the above passage says, the Holy Spirit is the one in our hearts, who sanctifies us. And contrary to those who think we get the Holy Spirit much later, in fact, we are not Christians without the Holy Spirit in our hearts. (Please start another thread about this, if you want to discuss this issue!)

3. Glorification - this is what happens to us when we die, or when Christ returns.

"For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified." Romans 8:29-30

"Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is." 1 John 3:2


So a lot of verses to say - if you are saved, you have the Holy Spirit. And you do not need to "work" to purify yourself. Instead, you have to allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you. This is done by prayer, reading the Bible, and certainly, finding a good Bible believing church, and gettting away from this Catholic offshoot you are fallen in with. Only God can save us and change us!

Again, as for your mom, she is not your cross. She is just an abusive woman, that yes, you are obligated to honour, but not at the expense of being abused daily. Our cross is to follow Jesus, not to let people try to destroy us who are just very disturbed people. (If your father became sick from abuse, you will become sick, too! Abuse leads to both mental and physical illnesses, all the scientific research shows._

 

[followjesus]

Dearest all, most of you probably know me already and know I came as a Catholic. I have been reading a lot of your posts and this has made me wonder this is indeed an heretical practice. I have seen many evidence. And also I have seen here a real community in spite of the arguments that I have never seen at a Catholic church.

First of all my parents were both Catholics and they were a real mess and I mean terrible, not get into details. It is incredible the amount of self-loathe they felt for themselves, for each other, for us our children. Then I tried to turn my husband to Catholicism, and he was better than when he was a dark heavy metal lol but he became very cold and apathetic. I think he started self-loathing too.

There is no way I succeed in life and my levels of self-loathe are peaking, increase that with OCD.

Today my mum scolded me for anything that goes through her mind, no matter if I did something wrong or not (mind it I am 37) she has been doing it all her whole life, since I was a very small child I mean 3 or 4. She abused me verbally for everything my father and brothers did to her. This has made my OCD go crazy too. Same with my in-laws, they are also Catholic and are a complete and absolute mess their level of sin is rocketing. My husband is OK because of some miraculous grace or perhaps because God wanted someone to help me survive at my side. God gave me my husband to help me spend another day.

Today in the heat of the discussion I tried something different, instead of answering back or trying to defend myself, I left her rant (she is incredibly cruel in the things she says to me) said nothing and instead I lowered my eyes and began to call the LORD to protect me, to not let her words touch me, protect me from the devil of her rage, repeat to me that LORD loves me and that I am a worthy person worthy of being loved and protected and respected.

This was a little miracle, her ranting gradually stopped and she is now almost normal (her personal level of normal at least)

As I was praying my husband showed to be more supportive to me, less cold and also calmer.

I know this is very personal and not biblical question but as Blue Ladybug told me Catholicism is poisonous and I actually see it as proof of how poisonous it can really be in my family. It has lead us to debt and self-destruction. My family is Catholic but not Christian at all let alone have any Christian virtues.

That's why I am taking the final decision (it was already running through my mind for days) to leave Catholicism as if it was a house on fire.

I want to be a real Christian and live life according to God and the Scriptures, because I have seen prayers have power, they saved me today from another OCD attack. And I wanted to be safe instead to lost to some kind of heresy.

How can I become a Christian? If I keep on being a Catholic it is going to kill me. My OCD is going crazy when I go to church, where I feel also harshly judged by priests and the congregation, with all that holier-than-thou attitude. It feels like drinking poison.

I want to leave Catholicism for good. Blue Ladybug already adviced me very kindly to stop adorating saints the Virgins and dead people and taking the holy communion, and have a personal relationship with God alone no priests as intermediaries (which is a relief) What should you advise me to do?

I really will thank you for your anwers for I am in a very forlorn, very scared state right now. Thank you all for your advice and God bless you.

the only advice i would have for you, is to speand daily time in prayer, just you and God. Ask Him to give you wisdom ( James 1:5) and continue in the attitude you have about prayer working...because it does ! and spend daily time in the written word, especially the 4 gospels again asking God to fill you with His spirit of understanding and wisdom and He will assuredly guide your mind and Heart !!

God bless you, i would say i believe there will be members of all christian denominations in the end, because God doesnt have a particular denomination, just those who are seeking after the truth of Jesus. I expect to see catholics, protestants, bapstists or any denomination because its about the Lord Jesus and not what denomination we claim....were Christians first and our loyalty is to the One who died for us and was raised again!!