Protestants: please stop using the label "Bible-believing"

[Janet1983]

But it isn’t “all about Him” and He isn’t the “center” of your life if you don’t listen to him.

“He who hears you (the Church, apostles and their successor bishops) hears me (Christ), and he who rejects you rejects me.”
Luke 10:16

It’s really all about YOU.

Don’t add to scripture and please don’t add to my post. I said that such a calling away of a follower of Christ from the fulness of Christ - dividing His Body in the process, is demonically sourced.

Can you propose a Godly way to divide Christ’s Body?

The testimony given is truth, as it actually occurred. I am merely pointing to its source. And you think I’m having a cow. Ok…

Yes it really did happen this way. It is my testimony.
I disagree however with the notion that I am rejecting Christ as my Lord. I actually accepted Him as my Lord and Saviour and I am sure that this cannot be demonic. Whatever source you personally are accrediting this to, I for my part know that Jesus Christ is Lord and to Him only will I surrender my life.
He is in the centre of my life. I do not understand how you can doubt this. Do you know me? Jesus Christ did more for me than I could ever imagine. He saved me from who I was and made me a new creature in Him. (see 2 Corinthians 5:17)
He took the penalty upon Himself for me who was more than undeserving. Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. I was vile and God-hating. I did not know who he was and I did not have a clear understanding of what He did for me. I saw the image of His death on the cross and it made me feel even more guilty. I knew that He died for my sins, but I never accepted His sacrifice and I never was able to please Him. He drew me to Himself and made me one of His. I know that I do not deserve this and this is so much more of a reason to live for Him than anything else could be. He knew me before I was born and He sees all of my sin and my iniquities. When I turned away from Him He saw me doing it and when He drew me back to Him His mercy overwhelmed me.
To God alone may be the glory and to nobody else. He did this work in me and that is why my soul exalts the Lord. He saved me when I was one of the worst…
All of my pride did not keep Him from humbling me and showing me His endless mercy.
Now I will not boast in myself any more, but I will boast in the Lord my God. I will boast in the One who is worthy. He is worthy of all of our praise.
Jesus Christ is Lord.
God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

 

[NotTooSmart]

If you are so disposed, here is a testimony of God’s revelation to an Evangelical and his wife: chnetwork.org/Conversionstories/Johngiles.pdf

May Christ’s peace be with you.

And that is fine. I don’t have an issue with these conversion stories. And I certainly will not call them demonic. Who knows, it may be something that God is doing in these individuals, and the last thing that I want to be found doing is calling the work of God demonic.

 

[po18guy]

Yes it really did happen this way. It is my testimony.
I disagree however with the notion that I am rejecting Christ as my Lord. I actually accepted Him as my Lord and Saviour and I am sure that this cannot be demonic. Whatever source you personally are accrediting this to, I for my part know that Jesus Christ is Lord and to Him only will I surrender my life.
He is in the centre of my life. I do not understand how you can doubt this. Do you know me? Jesus Christ did more for me than I could ever imagine. He saved me from who I was and made me a new creature in Him. (see

Never said that! I do not even want to imply that. I have no doubt about your testimony being true. What I said was that you either: did not believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, or that you were not taught that this is a Catholic belief.

Either way, this is a failure of the Church to teach, or of faith. Do I know which? No. However, the evil one is served when the Body of Christ is weakened or divided in any way. We are called to unity, not division. We are called to deny ourselves and take up our cross *before *we follow Christ.

There is nothing demonic in you or in your testimony. It is simply what was accomplished in your leaving the Church that was demonic. It goes directly against Jesus’ prayer to the Father that “they be one, as You and I are one”. Period.

Do you understand the origin of the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist? I would not be surprised at all if you were never taught this.

 

[Hisalone]

Don’t add to scripture and please don’t add to my post. I said that such a calling away of a follower of Christ from the fulness of Christ - dividing His Body in the process, is demonically sourced.

Can you propose a Godly way to divide Christ’s Body?

The testimony given is truth, as it actually occurred. I am merely pointing to its source. And you think I’m having a cow. Ok…

No it is ust evidence your theology is wrong.

 

[po18guy]

No it is ust evidence your theology is wrong.

It is not my theology - it is that established by Christ. I pray that you may one day examine it, as I did. The competition here is not between denominations, it is between God and the evil one. Period. God established a Church. I deny myself, all of the things that I want and formerly believed, and defer to her. Amen.

 

[po18guy]

And that is fine. I don’t have an issue with these conversion stories. And I certainly will not call them demonic. Who knows, it may be something that God is doing in these individuals, and the last thing that I want to be found doing is calling the work of God demonic.

One more time: The calling of a soul away from the very Church which Christ established is NOT God’s work. If not God’s, then whose work is it?

 

[Hisalone]

It is not my theology - it is that established by Christ. I pray that you may one day examine it, as I did. The competition here is not between denominations, it is between God and the evil one. Period. God established a Church. I deny myself, all of the things that I want and formerly believed, and defer to her. Amen.

No He did not.
Christ started a congregation who followed Him. He did not establish a pope, that is man made. He did not say His congregation would not err, he said the gates of hell would not prevail. If one team is to prevail over another team it does not mean that the team that does not prevail will never score a touchdown, nor the prevailing team never fumble.
There are many many scriptures Catholics mangle this is one.

 

[po18guy]

No He did not.
Christ started a congregation who followed Him. He did not establish a pope, that is man made. He did not say His congregation would not err, he said the gates of hell would not prevail. If one team is to prevail over another team it does not mean that the team that does not prevail will never score a touchdown, nor the prevailing team never fumble.
There are many many scriptures Catholics mangle this is one.

OK. I will pray for your hardened heart that has chosen to ignore all history and authoritative interpretation of scripture. May Christ’s peace find you. Amen.

 

[greggy53]

No He did not.
Christ started a congregation who followed Him. He did not establish a pope, that is man made. He did not say His congregation would not err, he said the gates of hell would not prevail. If one team is to prevail over another team it does not mean that the team that does not prevail will never score a touchdown, nor the prevailing team never fumble.
There are many many scriptures Catholics mangle this is one.

The Protestants can never admit that the Bible says what it plainly says. We can cut and paste the scriptures line by line right in front of them but they can never admit to what it says. Why? Because the Bible is all they have. Without it they are empty and clueless. If they were to admit that the Bible says what it really says then the game is over and the Catholics have won.

 

[po18guy]

The Protestants can never admit that the Bible says what it plainly says. We can cut and paste the scriptures line by line right in front of them but they can never admit to what it says. Why? Because the Bible is all they have. Without it they are empty and clueless. If they were to admit that the Bible says what it really says then the game is over and the Catholics have won.

I prefer to say that Christ has won and unity triumphs over division. The only competition is between our Lord and the evil one. Period.

The Holy Spirit unites.
The demon divides.

 

[Janet1983]

Do you understand the origin of the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist? I would not be surprised at all if you were never taught this.

I was of course taught this. It is part of my testimony. Otherwise I would not have visited the mother house frequently for their perpetual adoration.
I disagree with the notion that even the results of me leaving the CC are demonic.
I love the Lord more than I ever could have in my life.

 

[Janet1983]

One more time: The calling of a soul away from the very Church which Christ established is NOT God’s work. If not God’s, then whose work is it?

It still does sound as if you were ascribing my conversion to the devil’s work, but maybe I am mistaken in this interpretation of what you are saying… Am I mistaken?

 

[Eucharisted]

I believe in God, not in the Bible.

And because I believe in God, I believe His words in the Bible.

And because I believe His words in the Bible, I believe He made Peter the first Pope.

 

[Robbinson]

It still does sound as if you were ascribing my conversion to the devil’s work, but maybe I am mistaken in this interpretation of what you are saying… Am I mistaken?

Hi Janet - I 'd like to read your testimony - where is it in the thread (which post number?)

Blessings,

Brian

 

[Robbinson]

No He did not.
Christ started a congregation who followed Him. He did not establish a pope, that is man made. He did not say His congregation would not err, he said the gates of hell would not prevail. If one team is to prevail over another team it does not mean that the team that does not prevail will never score a touchdown, nor the prevailing team never fumble.
There are many many scriptures Catholics mangle this is one.

Hi Hisalone:

Since Jesus described a church with authority where we were to bring disputes for resolution with authority (so more than the invisible Church of believers) - where is that Church? He clearly spoke first to the apostles and gave them this authority. If the Church did not continue through the successors of the apostles - where is the Church we are to go? Is it the baptists, the calvinisits, the arminianis, methodists, etc.? I think you get the idea.

What do you make of that scripture? I ask this sincerely as a Protestant who has come to believe in the doctrine of apostolic succession, and thus towards Catholicism.

Looking forward to your thoughts.

Blessings,

Brian

 

[Janet1983]

Hi Janet - I 'd like to read your testimony - where is it in the thread (which post number?)

Blessings,

Brian

The original is not in this thread. I just linked back to it again.
It is HERE.

 

[po18guy]

It still does sound as if you were ascribing my conversion to the devil’s work, but maybe I am mistaken in this interpretation of what you are saying… Am I mistaken?

I tell myself that you could not have believed in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist; that if you did believe, and you loved the Lord, how on earth could you leave Him? These may be rhetorical questions to me, but they must be asked, because the Catholic and Orthodox Churches are the only ones with the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Personally, I have been mistreated by members of the Catholic Church. Who hasn’t been? We are a Church of sinners.

The demonic influence is in dividing of the Body of Christ. None of the other respondents seems to want to address the main issue, which is dividing, and thus weakening, the Sacred Body of Christ. They all seem to celebrate that you left the Catholic Church, without really caring where you went. Is that Christian? How on earth does that unify the Body of Christ? Some of them seem happy that you joined a faith community that they probably disagree with!

Jesus prayed that we be one, as He and the Father are one. So, to oppose this is not from God. There is only one other source. The spirits I have followed have at times in my life have proven not to be the Holy Spirit. I have since rejected them and denied myself, taking up my cross.

Demons are real. They harass you. They lead you astray. They divide the Body of Christ. They must be defeated before good can win out over evil. I don’t know much, but this I do know.

 

[po18guy]

I was of course taught this. It is part of my testimony. Otherwise I would not have visited the mother house frequently for their perpetual adoration.
I disagree with the notion that even the results of me leaving the CC are demonic.
I love the Lord more than I ever could have in my life.

Leaving the universal Church divides the Body of Christ. It may please us when we do it, but it must certainly grieve the Holy Spirit, Who is the Spirit of unity.

Just curious: which fellowship or denomination are you now affiliated with?

 

[Hisalone]

Leaving the universal Church divides the Body of Christ. It may please us when we do it, but it must certainly grieve the Holy Spirit, Who is the Spirit of unity.

Just curious: which fellowship or denomination are you now affiliated with?

There are consequences for corporate sin just as thereare consequences for individual sin. There were grievous sins commited by the Catholic Church the consequences is a divided body.

 

[Hisalone]

Hi Hisalone:

Since Jesus described a church with authority where we were to bring disputes for resolution with authority (so more than the invisible Church of believers) - where is that Church? He clearly spoke first to the apostles and gave them this authority. If the Church did not continue through the successors of the apostles - where is the Church we are to go? Is it the baptists, the calvinisits, the arminianis, methodists, etc.? I think you get the idea.

What do you make of that scripture? I ask this sincerely as a Protestant who has come to believe in the doctrine of apostolic succession, and thus towards Catholicism.

Looking forward to your thoughts.

Blessings,

Brian

Jesus gave us a congregation which had all spiritual authority. The history of the Catholic Church is to misinterpret this to mean all corporal authority.
The councils were to handle disputes so there was a dispute over the authority of the pope and what happened? A schism. The council didnt settle it. Did Christ set up a pope? Of course not.
The dispute over the authority of scripture vs the authority over tradition/councils/ popes did not even make it to a council before there was a split. How could it when one side used its “authority” to brandish the other side before te dispute could be resolved.
So to answer your question. In practice the resolution of conflicts broke down, it did not work.
If you seek after God with your whole heart you will find Him. And if you find Him He will place you in a congregation. Seek first God and His kindom.
Many who have gone throuh this process have been placed in congregations that are not the Catholic Church that is why we say it is a false paradim. Many who have gone through this process have been placed into the Catholic Church so we know that there is life in Christ in the Catholic Church. It is all about Christ it is not about His congregation even though we are His bride.