God speaking to us?

[ynotzap]

I know that nothing happens without God willing it, some refer to His permissive will especially in cases of sin. I also know by experience that there is no such things as pure coincidence, for all happenings are permitted by God. What appears to be coincidence is due to our ignorance of His operations. in all things. Nothing just happens. There isn’t one place in the universe that God isn’t actively present. God’s will is for all men to be united to Him, that’s why He created them, His eternal love for His creation. I have no doubt that God works through all religions that truly seek Him. I truly found Him to my satisfaction in the Christian Catholic Faith. I experienced a lot of what I call Holy Coincidences, (works of the Holy Spirit) I experienced God communicating with me in events in my life that confirmed my Christian beliefs I also experienced the reality of the devil, and how he deceives. I experienced the presence of an angel in the form of a young man. I am convinced of these truths that I don’t need anyone’s approval or acceptance of my statements. I have made an open presentation of my experiences to a Bishop, and priests, and lay people. I have experienced that the Catholic Church is the one founded by Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and redeemer of mankind from the works of Satan. not only by word, but by the power of the Holy Spirit who confirms the Word, Jesus. And I can’t deny what I have experienced even if I tried. This experience imposes a responsibility upon me, one that I must witness to for the salvation of men so they too can experience the reality of Jesus, God-man. All the reason in the world couldn’t supply this experience, even though I f ound it to be consistent with reason, I realize it is a gift of grace merited for us by Jesus Christ, available to all if they are humble enough to ask for it.

 

[cjforJesus]

If the Church holds all the Truth, then why did Christ say “I will LEAD you into all the truth”? That implies that we don’t have the fullness of truth but are being led bit by bit.

It took quite a long time for the church to define it’s teachings on the Trinity for example.

There was a quantum shift towards Protestant Churches with Vatican II, and for that matter other faiths.

The church only moved to the vernacular with Vatican II.

There was a time when the Church had no problem with burning witches at the stake, or encouraging the state to massacre Huegnots. Now it rejects capital punishment even for murder if possible.

The issue of the contraceptive pill is an obvious bone of contention for many Catholics. Don’t tell me the majority of smaller Catholic families today are all the result of NFP.

There have been anti-Popes. How did the Church decide which one was the real one?

I’ll stick with the old pastor turning up with a message, especially since it was a topic we’d discussed at some length before he died as well. The message didn’t arrive in an intellectual or religious vacuum.

It irritates me when others are so cock sure that someone else’s experiences are of the devil. For my part, I think they weren’t. Highly judgemental in my opinion.

Oh, I have no doubt that some things I’ve experienced were demonic. But I’m equally sure that some were divine, or angelic.

seriously Bob.you think a disembodied voice mocking an electricians vocation was holy? Or a dead pastor telling you that Catholicism is merely closest to the truth is a spirit being truthful.Analyze this again from a purely Catholic perspective.I am not ctriticizing you just warning you in a sisterly way. You are putting your faith in a message received supposedly from a dead preacher instead of the Holy Catholic and apostolic Church.

 

[cjforJesus]

It’s interesting the way this thread evolved. I can sympathize with the original author. I’m 26, and for most of my life I was intensely interested in religion and spirituality and sought “The Truth” in every path I walked down.

I realized that the “quest for Truth” ultimately leads to no answers, and leaves the seeker with a series of lightly-treaded alleys that have yielded no lasting fruit to speak of. It is above all else self-serving and a result of craving power and knowledge.

Before I set my sights firmly and solidly on Christianity (and Catholicism, specifically), I was very interested in Hinduism for several years. Its free-flowing philosophical nature and (sometimes) focus on devotion appealed to me.

Then I came to a realization: I know that God exists. The questions I always had is, “Which of the many paths is ‘correct’?” I realized that knowing the “right path” isn’t what matters. What mattered was that I surrendered completely to God, and set myself on the path of uncompromising devotion to Him. If somehow Christianity is “wrong” (a bit of a short-sighted analysis of things), then I’ve spent my life in selfless devotion to God, for which I have everything to gain and nothing to regret, regardless of the specific way that I worship. It’s about stopping this selfish quest to empower yourself personally, and instead settle down with a single religion that bears fruit in your life and pursue it without compromises.

I personally believe that Catholicism is the best outlet for this. I believe that Christianity is The Truth, because I’ve emptied myself out into it through faith and devotion, and Jesus has transformed my heart. So for all of those (such as C.S. Lewis and others) who say that if the Resurrection never happened, then Christianity is worthless and inconsequential, I completely disagree. If that is somehow the case, then the God who I know to exist worked through Christianity to change so many hearts, and orient to many lives toward His Glory.

And whether or not it’s “True” is of little importance.

St Paul himself said that if Jesus’s resurrection is false then the faith is in vain.Yet the Catholic Church understands these truths.The resurrection is the first GLORIOUS mystery of the rosary.

There are many even within the Catholic Church who are rejecting a literal Resurrection in favor of an obscure rising of Christ consciousness perhaps in the form of a kundalini experience or other mystical phenomenon. I have heard more than one priest say in a homily that the original gospels ended with the crucifixion and that the resurrection was added later! If that is not evidence that Lucifer has infiltrated seminaries in devious ways I don’t know what is,yet we still have the truth that even the gates of hell will not prevail against us.

 

[Bob_Crowley]

seriously Bob.you think a disembodied voice mocking an electricians vocation was holy? Or a dead pastor telling you that Catholicism is merely closest to the truth is a spirit being truthful.Analyze this again from a purely Catholic perspective.I am not ctriticizing you just warning you in a sisterly way. You are putting your faith in a message received supposedly from a dead preacher instead of the Holy Catholic and apostolic Church.

So if someone like St. Paul had a vision of a Macedonian telling him to come and witness to them instead of some other plan they had in mind, you’d tell him to ignore it?

And I might add the preacher was quite alive and well in the spiritual sense.

In the case of the electrician, I had an administrative job at the time. But I was belly aching about not having a trade. The voice simply pointed out what’s so great about crawling through a hot dirty roof on a hot day, compared to what you’re already doing?

How about a voice saying “Bob! What’s wrong with being a writer?”, with a distinct emphasis on the word “WRONG”. Should I just ignore that too?

I don’t have the same fear of the spiritual world that you seem to. For me it’s simply part and parcel of utlimate reality.

 

[cjforJesus]

So if someone like St. Paul had a vision of a Macedonian telling him to come and witness to them instead of some other plan they had in mind, you’d tell him to ignore it?

And I might add the preacher was quite alive and well in the spiritual sense.

In the case of the electrician, I had an administrative job at the time. But I was belly aching about not having a trade. The voice simply pointed out what’s so great about crawling through a hot dirty roof on a hot day, compared to what you’re already doing?

How about a voice saying “Bob! What’s wrong with being a writer?”, with a distinct emphasis on the word “WRONG”. Should I just ignore that too?

I don’t have the same fear of the spiritual world that you seem to. For me it’s simply part and parcel of utlimate reality.

Bob,I do not really fear the “spirit world”.but prefer to be cautious regarding any and all paranormal experiences.The holy saints who experienced spiritual manifestations and visions also often were subject to the attacks of demons. Many saints also had manifestations which appeared to be holy but upon further examination were not.St Teresa of Avila observed apparitions of a false Jesus trying to deceive her yet she knew it was not him because he did not have wounds in his hands.

All I am saying is stay close to the Church,be humble and obedient,and you cannot go wrong.