I respectfully ask evangelical, protestant and sola scriptura proponents...

[joe370]

BTW you never told how you were able discern truth before you were cathoilc.

Oop’s, sorry about that. I usually went with my own instincts and personal interpretation/understanding of scripture which was why I had a falling out with my former Pastor, or given the boot should I say. I started to see, in scripture,* (“For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself”)* - the idea or formula for the real presence in the bread and wine, being quite plausible. It was about this time I had decided to search for the historical church founded by Jesus…

 

[jmcrae]

Saved souls are part of the body of Christ which make up the church the called out ones.

Right. And they are not just left where they were found, in their sins. They are taken to Church (a building) to be initiated into the Church (a group of people) which is led by the authorities put in place by Jesus Christ (priests and Bishops who are members of the line of succession that began with the Apostles, and given by the authority of the Apostles).

The big bang?

That which came forth from God the Father’s mouth, to create everything that exists. (“Let there be light,” etc.) That is Jesus.

Jesus is the word incarnate.

Yes. The Word that created the Universe. (The speaking forth of “Let there be light,” etc.)

Jesus is not the Bible. The Bible is a different kind of “Word of God.”

The Bible is not Jesus - it is not the Word of Creation. (Reading aloud from the Bible doesn’t cause things to come into existence.)

Rather, it is the written record of the Covenant between God and the human race - or in other words, God’s love letter to us.

 

[joe370]

The Lutheran Book of Concord.

Jon

Exactly!!!

 

[jericho777]

Just adding on from JMcrae…

 

[CopticChristian]

Because you all may have a problem reading and understanding scripture doesn’t mean other do. I take my queue from the Bereans. Besides how do you know if something in your church is unbiblical?

You neglected to read 2 Tim 1:5 where we see it is his mother and grandmother and not the church from which he received his faith. “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”

You have generalized and started a sentence with a supposition. Who do you mean by all? Because of what?

When someone disagrees with you they have a problem reading and understanding. Now isn’t that bold. You have gained your information from where? You accuse?

If you take your que from the Bereans then you too would believe in the Oral Teachings of Paul and understand that as the Bereans deduced that Paul was Orally teaching things that were true but could not be discerned from reading alone or there would be no need for Paul to preach and teach. Paul too was noble and knew the OT like the back of his hand however until he saw the OT in light of what Jesus revealed to him he was as blind as you are in reading and believing that you are noble.

Open your ears and listen, read what we are telling you…how beautiful are the feet of the messenger that brings good news, the Church is the Body of Christ, the feet bring you the message, are you noble in checking to see if what we say is true or do you just read to confirm your delusion and then object?

 

[jericho777]

Oop’s, sorry about that. I usually went with my own instincts and personal interpretation/understanding of scripture which was why I had a falling out with my former Pastor, or given the boot should I say. I started to see, in scripture,* (“For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself”)* - the idea or formula for the real presence in the bread and wine, being quite plausible. It was about this time I had decided to search for the historical church founded by Jesus…

So you applied SS principals to become catholic. :thumbsup:

 

[joe370]

So you applied SS principals to become catholic. :thumbsup:

No doubt about that! I had to start somewhere…However, I knew that that way of thinking could only lead to a doctrinal cul-de-sac because in the end, it was my personal understanding/interpretation of scripture that I had to trust, as being definitively reliable and accurate, and I just didn’t feel that I was qualified or entrusted by Jesus to make such a judgment call regarding doctrines such as the Eucharist, which was why I mentioned to you that it was about that time that I had decided to search for the historical church founded by Jesus. If anyone, I thought, could be trusted to accurately discern the truths taught by Jesus, it would have to be His church forever guided by Him into all truth.
.

 

[JonNC]

No doubt about that! I had to start somewhere…However, I knew that that way of thinking could only lead to a doctrinal cul-de-sac because in the end, it was my personal understanding/interpretation of scripture that I had to trust, as being definitively reliable and accurate, and I just didn’t feel that I was qualified or entrusted by Jesus to make such a judgment call regarding doctrines such as the Eucharist, which was why I mentioned to you that it was about that time that I had decided to search for the historical church founded by Jesus. If anyone, I thought, could be trusted to accurately discern the truths taught by Jesus, it would have to be His church forever guided by Him into all truth.
.

Hi Joe,
While you and I still differ regarding “Church” and the guidance of the Holy SPirit into all truth (being limited to the CC), I think it is important to point out that, in fact, sola scriptura, properly practiced, should always lead us to the Church, since it is the Church that rightfully practices hermeunetics, not the individual.

Jon

 

[jmcrae]

Hi Joe,
While you and I still differ regarding “Church” and the guidance of the Holy SPirit into all truth (being limited to the CC), I think it is important to point out that, in fact, sola scriptura, properly practiced, should always lead us to the Church, since it is the Church that rightfully practices hermeunetics, not the individual.

Jon

Given the definition of “Church” as every person who claims to be Christian, with every congregation of whatever denomination being a local expression of the Church, what do you do when “the Church,” in all of its local expressions (every Protestant and Catholic congregation on earth from Unitarian Universalist to Fundamental Baptist), contradicts itself in basic principles?

 

[joe370]

Hi Joe,
While you and I still differ regarding “Church” and the guidance of the Holy SPirit into all truth (being limited to the CC), I think it is important to point out that, in fact, sola scriptura, properly practiced, should always lead us to the Church, since it is the Church that rightfully practices hermeunetics, not the individual.

Jon

Absolutely Jon! It is the Church that rightfully practices hermeunetics, not the individual. However, I think we both agree that sola scriptura, properly practiced, (of course that is still up for debate in protestant circles) - does not always lead people to one Church?

Just as a fallible observation on my part, the flaw that I see in the practice of sola scriptura can be illustrated right here on this thread. For example, SS has led you to believe that it is the Church that rightfully practices hermeunetics (not the individual) - and our friend Jerry777 to believe that it is the individual that rightfully practices hermeunetics? This was the primary reason, so long ago, why I wanted to find the historical church established By Jesus. It started becoming clear to me, long ago, that the holy bible, (as the Christians central authority) - simply didn’t seem to work. Like I mentioned to Syele, the 2 major founders of Protestantism are Luther and Zwingl and because they couldn’t agree on scripture, regarding the Lord’s Supper, these foremost pioneers of the practice of SS eventually parted ways and started their own respective Christian movements, eventually leading to 2 distinct churches. Both these reformers adamantly claimed to follow the scripture’s clear teaching and instead of the clear teachings of scripture guiding both these reformers down the same path, the practice of SS turned out to be the ultimate end to their united front. Right from the word go we see these very first leaders of the reformation, (who no doubt must have understood the proper practice of SS) - unable to iron out their differences and sadly, the same thing that divided these 2 reformers, continues to be the cause of the division and diversification that has characterized Protestantism ever since.

Again, just an observation…

 

[joe370]

Hi Joe,
While you and I still differ regarding “Church” and the guidance of the Holy SPirit into all truth (being limited to the CC), I think it is important to point out that, in fact, sola scriptura, properly practiced, should always lead us to the Church, since it is the Church that rightfully practices hermeunetics, not the individual.

Jon

I meant, our friend Jericho777…

 

[CopticChristian]

Given the definition of “Church” as every person who claims to be Christian, with every congregation of whatever denomination being a local expression of the Church, what do you do when “the Church,” in all of its local expressions (every Protestant and Catholic congregation on earth from Unitarian Universalist to Fundamental Baptist), contradicts itself in basic principles?

Well,

You can redefine it to be other than the Church
You can define it as the church
You can say we agree on the fundamentals and disagree on particulars
You can then argue about what the fundamentals are
You can then say that the Church has yet to emerge and there is a new wave of revelation

You can say that someone is wrong and like Ricky Ricardo used to say to Lucy …you guys have some splainin to do.

 

[JonNC]

Given the definition of “Church” as every person who claims to be Christian, with every congregation of whatever denomination being a local expression of the Church, what do you do when “the Church,” in all of its local expressions (every Protestant and Catholic congregation on earth from Unitarian Universalist to Fundamental Baptist), contradicts itself in basic principles?

I’m not sure I defined Church in this way, but you have a good point. What do we do in light of schism and division? I don’t know the answer, except to trust the Spirit to the truth. And when we misunderstand the Spirit, trust mercy and grace.

JOn

 

[Telestia]

Greetings to all. This is my first post on this forum, at least to the best of my knowledge. I do have memory problems. I actually am mentally handicap, but this will not stop anyone from not liking me.

I should not have to say this, but I will, all that I write, right or wrong, are simply my views, and not necessarily pure fact. Take it or leave it, it matters not to me. But it is what I believe to be true.

There is only one Church, Jesus is the head, the Chief cornerstone, of that Church. And it includes all true Christians regardless of what religious club they belong too. This is the body of Christ. Jesus Chris is the Head of this Body. All true Christians have the indwelling Holy Spirit.

My view, is that there is no chair of Peter, I could not find any in Scripture.

Ps 118:22-29

22 The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner stone.
23 This is the LORD’S doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25 O LORD, do save, we beseech You; O LORD, we beseech You, do send prosperity!
26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD; We have blessed you from the house of the LORD.
27 The LORD is God, and He has given us light; Bind the festival sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I give thanks to You; You are my God, I extol You.
29 Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

This Stone is Jesus the Messiah.

Read all Lk 20:9-18

" He will come and destroy these vine-growers and will give the vineyard to others." When they heard it, they said, " May it never be!" But Jesus looked at them and said, "What then is this that is written:

‘THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED,
THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone’?

18 " Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust."

Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone, He is the one who gets rejected.

1 Pe 2:4-8

4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For this is contained in Scripture:

“BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER stone,
AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”

7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve,

“THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone, and, A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE”;

for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed. NASU

This is from Peter himself acknowledging Jesus as the Cornerstone on which the Church of Jesus Christ, is built upon.

Mt 16:13-20
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

And Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

“I also say to you that you are Peter (Petros), and upon this (Petra) I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ. NASU

Jesus made a clear distinction between between Peter whose assumed name is actually ‘Petros’ . If I were arguing against myself, I would argue that Peter’s real name is Simon. And upon meeting Jesus for the first time, Jesus renamed Simon as “Cephas”.

However, 1 John 1:42, John translates Cephas to the greek word ‘Petros’, not Petra. So the distinction remains between Petros (Simon Peter) , and Petra (Jesus the Messiah). It would be absurd to claim Petros as the foundation stone of Christianity, When the OT declares the Messiah to be the Foundation Stone, and also in the NT, as per my quotes given above. Even Petros declares in 1 Peter, that Jesus is the Stone on which His church is built.

This is the greatest event in history of the salvation of humanity via the Messiah, who is the only Begotten God of God, who died on the cross, bearing all our sins, and washing away all the sins of all who believe Jesus and accept the atoning blood of Jesus, and thereby receive the indwelling Holy Spirit, who works in us to transform our very nature, that we may do the good that God intended us to do. I am built on Jesus, not Peter, and Peter agrees. And my Church is all believers who accepted what Christ has accomplished for them, and who believed Jesus, and accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior and His blood atonement - one last sacrifice of the unblemished Lamb (Jesus), and have received the indwelling Holy Spirit.

I really enjoyed the movie ‘The Apostle’ with Robert DuVall, because it was 'Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, …

Thus, this is my two cents in this thread. May God’s Hand and blessings be upon all.

Telestia.

 

[jmcrae]

Thank you, Telestia.

Therefore, if Peter’s successor is not the head of the Church, then what earthly authority should Christians listen to, today, to know whether or not they are really following Jesus, or something that isn’t actually Jesus?

Since we have already proven above that the individual interpretation of Scripture is unreliable, since it leads to varieties of contradictory doctrines.

 

[CopticChristian]

Greetings to all. This is my first post on this forum, at least to the best of my knowledge. I do have memory problems. I actually am mentally handicap, but this will not stop anyone from not liking me.

I should not have to say this, but I will, all that I write, right or wrong, are simply my views, and not necessarily pure fact. Take it or leave it, it matters not to me. But it is what I believe to be true.

There is only one Church, Jesus is the head, the Chief cornerstone, of that Church. And it includes all true Christians regardless of what religious club they belong too. This is the body of Christ. Jesus Chris is the Head of this Body. All true Christians have the indwelling Holy Spirit.
My view, is that there is no chair of Peter, I could not find any in Scripture.

Ps 118:22-29

22 The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner stone.
23 This is the LORD’S doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25 O LORD, do save, we beseech You; O LORD, we beseech You, do send prosperity!
26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD; We have blessed you from the house of the LORD.
27 The LORD is God, and He has given us light; Bind the festival sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I give thanks to You; You are my God, I extol You.
29 Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

This Stone is Jesus the Messiah.

Read all Lk 20:9-18

" He will come and destroy these vine-growers and will give the vineyard to others." When they heard it, they said, " May it never be!" But Jesus looked at them and said, "What then is this that is written:

‘THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED,
THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone’?

18 " Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust."

Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone, He is the one who gets rejected.

1 Pe 2:4-8

4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For this is contained in Scripture:

“BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER stone,
AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”

7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve,

“THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone, and, A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE”;

for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed. NASU

This is from Peter himself acknowledging Jesus as the Cornerstone on which the Church of Jesus Christ, is built upon.

Mt 16:13-20
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

And Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

“I also say to you that you are Peter (Petros), and upon this (Petra) I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ. NASU

Jesus made a clear distinction between between Peter whose assumed name is actually ‘Petros’ . If I were arguing against myself, I would argue that Peter’s real name is Simon. And upon meeting Jesus for the first time, Jesus renamed Simon as “Cephas”.

However, 1 John 1:42, John translates Cephas to the greek word ‘Petros’, not Petra. So the distinction remains between Petros (Simon Peter) , and Petra (Jesus the Messiah). It would be absurd to claim Petros as the foundation stone of Christianity, When the OT declares the Messiah to be the Foundation Stone, and also in the NT, as per my quotes given above. Even Petros declares in 1 Peter, that Jesus is the Stone on which His church is built.

This is the greatest event in history of the salvation of humanity via the Messiah, who is the only Begotten God of God, who died on the cross, bearing all our sins, and washing away all the sins of all who believe Jesus and accept the atoning blood of Jesus, and thereby receive the indwelling Holy Spirit, who works in us to transform our very nature, that we may do the good that God intended us to do. I am built on Jesus, not Peter, and Peter agrees. And my Church is all believers who accepted what Christ has accomplished for them, and who believed Jesus, and accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior and His blood atonement - one last sacrifice of the unblemished Lamb (Jesus), and have received the indwelling Holy Spirit.

I really enjoyed the movie ‘The Apostle’ with Robert DuVall, because it was 'Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, …

Thus, this is my two cents in this thread. May God’s Hand and blessings be upon all.

Telestia.

Amen. The question is how does everyone get in on the action. Jesus/God provided a means to the end, The Church. You may want to read “Jesus, Peter and the Keys” so at least you understand how Peter, in my opinion was given the keys and how they were passed one.

 

[joe370]

Greetings to all. This is my first post on this forum, at least to the best of my knowledge. I do have memory problems. I actually am mentally handicap, but this will not stop anyone from not liking me.

I should not have to say this, but I will, all that I write, right or wrong, are simply my views, and not necessarily pure fact. Take it or leave it, it matters not to me. But it is what I believe to be true.

There is only one Church, Jesus is the head, the Chief cornerstone, of that Church. And it includes all true Christians regardless of what religious club they belong too…

Hey Telestia, welcome to the forum my friend; glad you are here! I certainly respect your right to believe all that you have just said! Perhaps you could start a thread and address those theological points?

What is your response to post # 1?

 

[Telestia]

Thank you, Telestia.

Therefore, if Peter’s successor is not the head of the Church, then what earthly authority should Christians listen to, today, to know whether or not they are really following Jesus, or something that isn’t actually Jesus?

Since we have already proven above that the individual interpretation of Scripture is unreliable, since it leads to varieties of contradictory doctrines.

I thank you for your reply JMcrae.

I am not alone.

And I am Guided by New Covenant Laws of Jesus Christ.

I am led by the Holy Spirit, and I keep the Laws of Jesus Christ, or better put, God keeps me by the Laws of Jesus Christ. For it is not a burden to keep them.

But in order to keep the Laws of Jesus Christ, one needs to know them:

There are Three Laws of Christ in the NT.

I. THE ROYAL LAW OF LOVE

James 2:8-9 If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF,” you are doing well.

Jesus stated it partially in His Sermon on the Mount:

Mt 5:43-45
" ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Jesus states it in full as His earthly ministry is nearing His crucifixion:

Mt 22:34-40

34 But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. 35 One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him,

36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”

37 And He said to him, " ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. “The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

The 2nd Law of Jesus Christ is called the Perfect Law,

II. THE LAW OF LIBERTY:

Jas 1:25
But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the Law of Liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

Here are the axioms of the Law of Liberty:

Mt 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” Jesus

Jas 2:11-13
“Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; MERCY TRIUMPHS OVER JUDGEMENT.”

If I want God to forgive my sins, and yes - we all sin throughout our life, I believe Jesus and will be forgive others of their sins, and I know God will mercifully forgive me, and He, through the holy Spirit, will cleanse me of all unrighteousness…

Jesus says He will:

Lk 6:37-38

37 " Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure — pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return."
NASU

III. THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS.

ROMANS 1 THROUGH 7 IS ONE LONG ARGUMENT LEADING UP TO CHAPTER 8. THE SPIRIT OF LIFE IS THE INDWELLING HOLY SPIRIT WHO IS OUR HELPER, THROUGH WHOM GOD TRANSFORMS OUR VERY NATURE SO THAT WE MAY DO THE GOOD THAT GOD CREATED US TO DO.

Ro 8:1-8
Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. … etc.

When Jesus died on the cross, the Thick Heavy veil in the Jewish Temple was torn asunder. That Veil separated Man from God. Through the Finished Work of Jesus we are once again in full fellowship with God via the indwelling Holy Spirit. It is the work of the Indwelling Holy Spirit that transforms our very nature over time as we walk with God and talk with God.

50 Days after Passover, Moses received on Mt. Sinai THE LAW that bears his name. 50 days after Jesus rose from the dead, Christians received the HELPER, the INDWELLING Holy Spirit.

The amazing thing about these three laws is they do not burden us, but rather, they are fun and most profitable to keep. By them, God keeps us. These are the Laws of Jesus Christ and of the New Covenant.

Embracing these LAWS is my obedience. And they are not burdensome in any way. But pure joy to keep. And we Christians know that joy and can say:

He walks with me,
and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own.
And the joy we share,
As we tarry there,
none other has ever Known.

I trust God in all things. I know He will not fail me. If some heathens one day want to cut my head off, they are most welcome to it. For my savior lives. Hopefully I would get to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with them first.

 

[jmcrae]

Thank you, Telestia!

And who teaches us these things, if not “some man” - such as the Pope, or one of his Bishops, or a priest?

I know for a fact that you didn’t come up with these all by yourself, since I have read them before.

 

[Telestia]

I also love Mozart.

“Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius.”
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

“It is a great consolation for me to remember that the Lord, to whom I had drawn near in humble and child-like faith, has suffered and died for me, and that He will look on me in love and compassion.”
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

And this is my favorite:

“As death, when we come to consider it closely, is the true goal of our existence, I have formed during the last few years such close relations with this best and truest friend of mankind, that His image is not only no longer terrifying to me, but is indeed very soothing and consoling! And I thank my God for graciously granting me the opportunity … of learning that death is the key which unlocks the door to our true happiness.”
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

I love his music too. Piano Concerto # 21 “Elvira Madigan” is my favorite.

youtube.com/watch?v=rKZr3ExeXUc&feature=related