I have a nice conversation with this person that I want to share here. Her name in disqus is AnnieGotAGun. I will shorten to Annie.
She said, “In my opinion, if Jesus's church is falling away, they are religious. They have never had a relationship with God. They do not possess the Holy Spirit. Religion is evil and takes people away from God, not to God. In order to survive these times and all times, a relationship with Jesus is necessary. Rituals rites, sacraments and sacrifices do not save. what I assume we are seeing here is a result of the religion of Santa Muerte. Just another religion created by Satan in which Satan deceives many. Honestly, I cannot remember a single instance in which God glorifies death".
My response is: I agreed they did not have the Holy Spirit as they did not know Jesus. However, when you said sacraments and sacrifices do not save that is not true. It sounds you do not know the meaning of Sacrament. We do a have a sacrifice that saved us. Jesus’ death on the cross. The Church that Jesus founded is the Catholic Church. The Body of Jesus as St. Paul said. Members of the Church on Earth do fall away but no Jesus. The Sacraments deal with Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I have a website, you and anyone are welcome to join. There we can have a friendly dialog about the Truth. The link is https://www.ccatruthandlove....
Annie’s response: I do not mean to offend, but I fled the Catholic Church for those very reasons in the link. I became born again In the Spirit. Scripture is clear about rites, rituals and sacraments. Scripture says these things were created by man, not God. And God will not accept them. I know there are many in the charismatic Catholic Church that are saved They just don't seem to have the ability to let go of that which they were born into. I was actually baptized in the spirit at a charismatic event. What they were saying at the baptism was ridiculous according to the word of God, but it didn't matter to me because I had the fire of God within. I have never seen a Catholic Mass in which someone gives a word from the Holy Spirit. There is no speaking forth a word given by God. There is no prophesying. There is no one speaking in tongues and no one to interpret that word. I believe in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can do amazing things within those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and have a relationship with him. Nobody speaks about the power brought by the Holy Spirit within a believer. I do not know how you share the gospel with others or how you use the power of the Holy Spirit. But if you don't understand the power of the Holy Spirit within a believer, I pray you do soon. I do not want you to miss out on the greatest power of God moving throughout the world as we speak. We need to do everything the Lord has assigned us to do. Share the gospel, speak of his prophecies, share the word the Lord has given us, and bring many to the Lord Jesus Christ Please walk hand and hand with me while we fulfill the Word of God.! 😁🙏✝️❤️🇺🇲
My response:
No offense, you are a former Catholic. the link is a website and have multiple topics. Did you read all the topics? Can you be specific the reasons you left the Catholic Church? If you wish, it would be easier if you become member as former Catholic or no faith are welcome to join, and choose the topic that is related to the reason you left the Catholic Church. We can have a conversation about that and share about Jesus who is the Truth. It is harder to do it here.
You said, “Scripture is clear about rites, rituals and sacraments. Scripture says these things were created by man, not God. And God will not accept them.” Did you read the Old Testament? You will read that God commanded to Moses multiple rituals or to be specific, to do things the way God wanted. In the New Testament you will read things the Apostles did guided by the Holy Spirit, if you follow what happened during certain Mass, what they did then, we still are doing today.
I had conversations in the past with multiple people, multiple faiths and former Catholics. What you are saying about the Holy Spirit is what many Pentecostals believe. What specific faith do you follow now or what church do you go now, are you Pentecostal?
It is good to share the Gospel or Jesus. That is the reason for this website: CCA, that you and anyone are welcome to join. To know Jesus, then that Truth will set us free. If we are humble, we are opened to the Truth and accept the Truth.
Annie’s response:
I have no denomination. I am simply a follower and disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Yes, I have read the Old Testament. I have read the Bible from beginning to end multiple times.
That is how I know. the Catholic Church continues to push the "LAW" when Jesus has already fulfilled the law.
Why did I leave the Catholic Church? Because it is the Pharisees and Sadducees of our time. The Catholic Church has sent more people to hell hands down then any other religion.
Religion, riites, rituals and sacraments do not save. Only being born again in the Spirit can a man be saved.
I saw this early on when I came to the Lord. My question for you is why haven't you seen it yet?
My response:
Before addressing what you said, I would like to know when you said, “the Catholic Church continues to push the "LAW" when Jesus has already fulfilled the law.” Do you refer the “Law” the 10 Commandments if not, what “Law” are you talking about it?
Annie’s response:
The need for rites and rituals (such as given by God in the Old Testament) which were always indicative of or pointing to Jesus's sacrifice on the cross are no longer necessary. The CC uses "sacraments" in the same way. Yet, Jesus has already satisfied the Law. At least with God's Law, they were not created by man. This is why I called it the modern day Pharisees and Sadducees who added to the Law with unnecessary burdens and rituals. These things are not of God but rather of man and are designed to replace relationship with God. So long as Catholics take part in these sacraments, they are good with the Lord and the church. Or so it is taught.
My response:
My response did not make it here. Why? It was blocked? I hope no. Both sides must be heard as part our freedom of speech. Specially when it is truth, and some people do not like the truth to be known. I will place that discussion in CCA, Church and Unity topics. Again, I would rather discuss there than here because the website CCA is for that. Link is https://www.ccatruthandlove.... The website is bilingual named is Catholic Church Apologetics (CCA).
It sounds that you have no issues with the 10 Commandments. You seem to have issues with the Sacraments. As you said, “added to the Law with unnecessary burdens and rituals. These things are not of God but rather of man and are designed to replace relationship with God. So long as Catholics take part in these sacraments, they are good with the Lord and the church. Or so it is taught.” You misunderstood the meaning of the Sacraments. They did not add to the 10 Commandments. Sacraments do not replace relationship with God. They are how God works in our souls. They are instituted by God. The official definition of Sacrament is outward signs of inward grace, instituted by Christ for our sanctification. The Holy Spirit is necessary for the Sacraments to get the inward grace that sanctify our souls. Do you know how many Sacraments we have and can you tell me what they are?
My other response:
According to your own words, you said you are disciple of Jesus, with no denomination or church, all by yourself. You seem to be against any religion or organized or community of believers. You read the Bible. First, you are going against what is in the New Testament. It talks about church or community, no by ourselves. On earth, they were united. Acts 4:32, community of believers were one mind and one heart. Three thousand people just were baptized, and they were like one person. They have same beliefs, same worship and the same leadership, the Apostles of Jesus, St. Peter, the first pope, the leader of the Apostles. Check this discussion in the website Catholic Church Apologetics (CCA) titled and link Evidence about why the Catholic Church Jesus founded. I placed that as the discussion said, in Microsoft Networks, the website CCA was made there originally in 2001. Since then, I am waiting for someone to prove me wrong. Otherwise, nothing to say against the Truth. You left the Catholic Church because you said, “Because it is the Pharisees and Sadducees of our time. The Catholic Church has sent more people to hell hands down then any other religion.” How do you know who is in hell? It sounds that you are going against what is in the Bible and the words of Jesus, no judge. That statement shows that you are anti-Catholic and it is false. Nothing new for me, most and the worse anti-Catholic were former Catholics. They have in common that they thought they knew the Catholic faith but in reality, they are ignorant of the Catholic faith or they are arrogant close to Truth, and only care for their own beliefs even that is going against Jesus. They reject to change their lives to do the will of God. We do have Sadducees and Pharisees in the Catholic Church. The words of Jesus accomplished clearly in the Catholic Church, as Jesus said the wheat and the weed will be together until He comes to judge the living and the dead. We have 100% faithful Catholic and unfaithful in the same Church. They are easy to spot. They do not care to follow what the Church teaches for 2,000 years. Their bad example discourages people to continue to be Catholic, as yourself or non-Catholic to be Catholic. However, that will no take away that Jesus founded the Catholic Church as the link I provided is one of the multiple types of evidence.
Did you read that St. Paul said that the Body of Jesus is the Church? If Jesus is the Savior, so His Body. Jesus is One as God is One, 3 Persons, One God, Most Holy Trinity, adoration forever. We have thousands of churches. Jesus is not a monster with thousands of Bodies. If Jesus has One Body as He does, then it must be one Church. That Church is the Catholic Church. The Apostles chose the name the Way. The Pagans called them Christian first in Antioch per Acts. In the second century was changed from the Way to the Catholic Church. God founded only 2 faiths, Jewish faith with Moses that is the Old Covenant and the Catholic faith with Jesus, the New Covenant. The rest of faiths men founded. Orthodox used to be one with us. Parts of them have come back.
You said, “Religion, riites, rituals and sacraments do not save. Only being born again in the Spirit can a man be saved. I saw this early on when I came to the Lord. My question for you is why haven't you seen it yet?” Born again in the Spirit because I am Catholic, you think I have not seen it yet? That is judging again. If you know the Catholic faith, born again in the Spirit is the Sacrament of Baptism. We receive the Holy Spirit and all sins are clean besides the original sin that we are born with it. It is like born again. Catholic faith and Jewish faith are religions. You seem to think religion is bad and cannot save. That will go against what St. James said James 1:27, Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. By being 100% faithful Catholic, we persevere with God grace away for the world that goes against God.
The link is https://welovetrump.com/2022/04/29/over-150-skulls-found-at-crime-scene/#comment-5849064128