To my Non-Catholic Christian friends: What if the Holy Spirit is guiding me to the RCC?

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So, I spent a VERY long time away from anything related to Christian thinking, spending all my adult life as an atheist and, on my better days, agnostic. My familiarity with the Christian faith growing up was very limited, so I’m kind of looking at this with new eyes.
I pray to the Holy Spirit daily. I read Scripture daily. I really try to let the Holy Spirit guide me. My protestant acquaintances assure me that the RCC is NOT the place for me, but how can that be possible if that’s where Scripture and the Holy Spirit are leading me? The Catholic ideas of purgatory, and honor to Mary and especially the Eucharist all jump out at me from Scripture.
I really want to follow the Lord’s will for me, and the pull to the RCC is overwhelming. How could this be wrong?
I ask this with a charitable spirit and hope to get answers of the same. Thanks in advance for your time!
 
Thats what the Holy Spirit does brother/sister, it pulls us to the truth.

“my adult life as an atheist and, on my better days, agnostic” sounds like my own personal story. Something about the Protestant faith communities just didn’t “add up” for me.

:extrahappy: Welcome home! :clapping:
 
God has left us a Church for all to come to know God and commune with the blessed Trinity the way God created humanity for. The Roman Catholic Church has the keys to the Kingdom of God and access to unlocking the mysteries of God, if we just take a step of faith towards God, God will do the rest. You have nothing to lose but eternity to gain in the Catholic church. When God calls us, only His sheep hear his voice.

I will pray for you, and God’s will be upon you. peace be with you
 
If the Catholic Church is were you are drawn, then go and fellowship in company with Catholics
 
4Squarebaby said:
If the Catholic Church is were you are drawn, then go and fellowship in company with Catholics
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Sure the Catholic communities has many of its social communities to fellowship. But God calls us to commune with him in his True living presence where we worship God in Spirit and Truth through his Son Jesus Christ in His True presence of his body, blood soul and divinity, where “God is all and in all”. This particular communion with God in the Catholic church is outside Catholic fellowship halls. Hoping to clarify the distinction between Fellowship in community and communion with God through his Son Jesus True presence in Worship. This is what man thirsts for and is created for. Jesus quenches our thirsts with his True living waters.

Peace be with you
 
Go where the Spirit leads, since It will lead you to God.

Peace and Blessings.
 
chaunceygardner said:
Go where the Spirit leads, since It will lead you to God.

Peace and Blessings.
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God bless you all in your charitable answers, spoken like true followers of Christ !🙂
Our duty as Christians is to always seek the Truth, and when we find it, to live by it.
 
Easy answer… go where you feel the Spirit is leading you. Just because I am being led in a different direction does not mean I have the right to tell you that where you feel led is in error (and vice versa of course).

So go and worship in the Catholic Church knowing that all Christians are worshiping the the church catholic 8^)
 
rwillenborg said:
So, I spent a VERY long time away from anything related to Christian thinking, spending all my adult life as an atheist and, on my better days, agnostic. My familiarity with the Christian faith growing up was very limited, so I’m kind of looking at this with new eyes.
I pray to the Holy Spirit daily. I read Scripture daily. I really try to let the Holy Spirit guide me. My protestant acquaintances assure me that the RCC is NOT the place for me, but how can that be possible if that’s where Scripture and the Holy Spirit are leading me? The Catholic ideas of purgatory, and honor to Mary and especially the Eucharist all jump out at me from Scripture.
I really want to follow the Lord’s will for me, and the pull to the RCC is overwhelming. How could this be wrong?
I ask this with a charitable spirit and hope to get answers of the same. Thanks in advance for your time!
Click to expand...
No man can go to Jesus unless God calls him. And no man can go to God except through Jesus. Some people are born in deserts, some in jungles, some in urban areas, we are often not the decision maker when it comes to life and that includes eternal life. Whatever is leading you can be the the spirit of truth or it can be the spirit of lies.

**Ultimately, if you end up in heaven, good for you. But if you end up in hell, don’t blame God because God never told you specifically that it was His Spirit in the 1st place that is leading you. **

You yourself have the responsibility to discern right from wrong for yourself and seek God with ALL your strength, mind & might.
 
Who cares what acquintances think? Get to church quick and give your life to the Lord.
 
rwillenborg said:
So, I spent a VERY long time away from anything related to Christian thinking, spending all my adult life as an atheist and, on my better days, agnostic. My familiarity with the Christian faith growing up was very limited, so I’m kind of looking at this with new eyes.
I pray to the Holy Spirit daily. I read Scripture daily. I really try to let the Holy Spirit guide me. My protestant acquaintances assure me that the RCC is NOT the place for me, but how can that be possible if that’s where Scripture and the Holy Spirit are leading me? The Catholic ideas of purgatory, and honor to Mary and especially the Eucharist all jump out at me from Scripture.
I really want to follow the Lord’s will for me, and the pull to the RCC is overwhelming. How could this be wrong?
I ask this with a charitable spirit and hope to get answers of the same. Thanks in advance for your time!
Click to expand...
My father said the same thing when he abandoned the Catholic Church and joined the Assemblies of God.

What’s your point?
 
Keep praying to the Holy Spirit for direction:thumbsup:

Study the doctrines of the Catholic Church and also that of the Protestant faiths. Then as you read scripture, pay attention to these doctrinal teachings. For me, the more I read scripture, the more I am affirmed in my Catholic faith:thumbsup:

But in the end though, its not your friends around you or the people you should meet along the way that really matter (although they are important and mean well), both sides will try to convince you their church is the correct one. Pray, read scripture and know the doctrines of faith taught by both the Catholic Church and those of the Protestants.

Where ever you decide to call your Faith home though, whether it be the Catholic Church or the Protestant, just Love and Trust God with all your heart and soul and be faithfull to Him.

Prayers will be with you on your journey and God bless you.
 
FabiusMaximus said:
My father said the same thing when he abandoned the Catholic Church and joined the Assemblies of God.

What’s your point?
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I’m sorry if I wasn’t clear in my initial post as to what my point is.
Actually, your post kind of makes my point.
The Holy Spirit led your father AWAY from the Catholic Church. The Holy Spirit is leading me TOWARDS the Catholic Church. How can that be? Why would the Holy Spirit lead one person to one set of doctrines and lead another to another set of doctrines when both people were simply asking to be led towards the Truth?
I guess, after floating around in the la-la land of agnosticism for so long, I’d really like to find the Truth and I’m getting so many comflicting views from so many angles. I simply want to do God’s will and be in His Church.

I’m seeking the Truth, whatever that might be, and I don’t understand how there could possibly be conflicting truths.

Does that clear up my point at all?
 
Mosacked said:
No man can go to Jesus unless God calls him. And no man can go to God except through Jesus. Some people are born in deserts, some in jungles, some in urban areas, we are often not the decision maker when it comes to life and that includes eternal life. Whatever is leading you can be the the spirit of truth or it can be the spirit of lies.

**Ultimately, if you end up in heaven, good for you. But if you end up in hell, don’t blame God because God never told you specifically that it was His Spirit in the 1st place that is leading you. **

You yourself have the responsibility to discern right from wrong for yourself and seek God with ALL your strength, mind & might.
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I couldn’t agree with you more. I couldn’t blame God for anything bad in my life. 😃 I just couldn’t. 🤷 And I am working SO HARD to discern right from wrong. And that’s where this struggle comes in. I simply don’t understand how the Spirit could lead me in the wrong direction. And, if I am seeking God’s will, and being guided by His Word, could it be something else besides the Spirit that is guiding me?
Thanks for your thoughtful reply. Any other insights would also be greatly appreciated.
 
Mosacked said:
No man can go to Jesus unless God calls him. And no man can go to God except through Jesus. Some people are born in deserts, some in jungles, some in urban areas, we are often not the decision maker when it comes to life and that includes eternal life. Whatever is leading you can be the the spirit of truth or it can be the spirit of lies.

**Ultimately, if you end up in heaven, good for you. But if you end up in hell, don’t blame God because God never told you specifically that it was His Spirit in the 1st place that is leading you. **

You yourself have the responsibility to discern right from wrong for yourself and seek God with ALL your strength, mind & might.
Click to expand...
One more thing. ‘If’ I end up in heaven isn’t good enough for me. I really need to do EVERYTHING in my power to make sure that I (and my friends and family to whatever extent I am able to help!) get to heaven. I don’t want to come face to face with the Lord and have Him say I didn’t follow Him. That would crush me before I even got to hell. 🤷
 
dnu said:
Thats what the Holy Spirit does brother/sister, it pulls us to the truth.

“my adult life as an atheist and, on my better days, agnostic” sounds like my own personal story. Something about the Protestant faith communities just didn’t “add up” for me.

:extrahappy: Welcome home! :clapping:
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it’s sister. 🙂
And thanks. It’s good to be home. I just keep praying that I’m in the RIGHT home! 🙂
 
rwillenborg said:
So, I spent a VERY long time away from anything related to Christian thinking, spending all my adult life as an atheist and, on my better days, agnostic. My familiarity with the Christian faith growing up was very limited, so I’m kind of looking at this with new eyes.
I pray to the Holy Spirit daily. I read Scripture daily. I really try to let the Holy Spirit guide me. My protestant acquaintances assure me that the RCC is NOT the place for me, but how can that be possible if that’s where Scripture and the Holy Spirit are leading me? The Catholic ideas of purgatory, and honor to Mary and especially the Eucharist all jump out at me from Scripture.
I really want to follow the Lord’s will for me, and the pull to the RCC is overwhelming. How could this be wrong?
I ask this with a charitable spirit and hope to get answers of the same. Thanks in advance for your time!
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I am fine with that.

Are you fine with me being in my local AG church?
 
AmateurPianist said:
I am fine with that.

Are you fine with me being in my local AG church?
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I’m guessing an AG church is very different from a Catholic one, is that right? I simply don’t understand how two people (you and me in this example) could both ask the Holy Spirit for truth, and we receive different answers!! There’s one truth. That’s what I don’t understand.
My Protestant friends say that the Eucharist is idolatry, for example! (Again, not sure if that’s what AG believes). So, on the one end, are people who say I’m going to Hell for believing that the Eucharist is the body of christ, and then the Catholics say that will help me get to heaven.
You can understand, I’m sure, that I’d really like to make sure that I get this one right!! This is my eternal soul that’s on the line here!!
 
rwillenborg said:
I’m guessing an AG church is very different from a Catholic one, is that right? I simply don’t understand how two people (you and me in this example) could both ask the Holy Spirit for truth, and we receive different answers!! There’s one truth. That’s what I don’t understand.
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There are different peoples, cultures and languages. A brother or sister working with and a member of the AoG, the SDA, the Catholic Church, etc can go places and reach souls that their brother can not.
 
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