That Is Why Many Are Weak And Ill....

My aha moment with respect toward the real presence of Jesus Christ in the bread and wine of the Eurcharist came when I read the following Scripture spoken by St. Paul in 1 Cor. 11:27-31:

"Therefore, whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord. But let a man prove himself: and so let him eat of that bread and drink of the chalice. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord. Therefore are there many infirm and weak among you: and many sleep. But if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged."

If the bread and wine were simply symbols of Christ's body and blood what would be the point of discerning whether it should be taken unworthily or not, after all it's just bread and wine. Notice the verse doesn't say guilty of the bread and wine of the Lord, but the body and blood of the Lord. Paul was capable to use different language if he wanted. BUT if it were really the body and really the blood then there would be a point to discern the matter by which to partake. And least anyone doubt such a thing, a symbolic view of the bread and wine would make this verse, "Therefore are there many infirm and weak among you: and many sleep." absolutely ridculous.

But because they are the real presence of Christ, partaking in a worthy manner brings healing and unworthily does not. Amazing!

The Whole World Awaits Mary's Reply

You have heard, O Virgin, that you will conceive and bear a son; you have heard that it will not be by man but by the Holy Spirit. The angel awaits an answer; it is time for him to return to God who sent him. We too are waiting, O Lady, for your word of compassion; the sentence of condemnation weighs heavily upon us.

The price of our salvation is offered to you. We shall be set free at once if you consent. In the eternal Word of God we all came to be, and behold we die. In your brief response we are to be remade in order to be recalled to life.

Tearful Adam with his sorrowing family begs this of you, O loving Virgin, in their exile from Paradise. Abraham begs it, David begs it. All the other holy patriarchs, your ancestors, ask it of you, as they dwell in the country of the shadow of death. This is what the whole earth waits for, prostrate at your feet. It is right in doing so, for on your word depends comfort for the wretched, ransom for the captive, freedom for the condemned, indeed, salvation for all the sons of Adam, the whole of your race.

Answer quickly, O Virgin. Reply in haste to the angel, or rather through the angel of the Lord. Answer with a word, receive the Word of God. Speak your own word, conceive the divine Word. Breathe a passing word, embrace the eternal Word.

Why do you delay, why are you afraid? Believe, give praise, and receive. Let humility be bold, let modesty be confident. This is no time for virginal simplicity to forget prudence. In this matter alone, O prudent Virgin, do not fear to be presumptuous. Though modest silence is pleasing, dutiful speech is now more necessary. Open your heart to faith. O blessed Virgin, your lips to praise, your womb to the Creator. See, the desired of all nations is at your door, knocking to enter. If he should pass by because of your delay, in sorrow you would begin to seek him afresh, the One whom your soul loves. Arise, hasten, open. Arise in faith, hasten in devotion, open in praise and thanksgiving...

BEHOLD, THE HANDMAID OF THE LORD, she says, BE IT DONE TO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD.

St. Bernard, abbot

Confession

As I move one step closer to full communion I made my first confession at the Advent Penance Service. It was like a second baptism, a fresh start preparing to accept my Lord in the fullness of His table. Peace has been restored. Christ has forgiven us our sins. Confession is a way we may release to guilt of our sin to a visible representation of Christ on earth, His priesthood. As I reflect on such a glorious time I realize how tied all the Sacraments are tied to one another drawing us ever closer to that perfection Jesus called us to as He said: "Be ye perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."

As I praised and thanked God for forgiving me of my many sins it hit me just how attached we/I am to those saints who went before us. The unity of the Catholic faith is amazing. For the first time I realized that only here am I truly related to the human side of the Incarnate Christ through the succession of saints ever tied to the only family God can recognize. I pray for the return of our separated brethern and those who have wandered from the true faith that they may partake of the true bread of life. Glory be to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen and Alleluia.

The Final Step

My journey to the Catholic faith is almost complete, but my faith will continue to grow until I am called home. I received word this week that I am ready to be received into full communion with the Catholic Church. Confirmation will be soon after Christmas. I was hoping to be received before Christmas, but I'll settle for afterwards. It will be before Lent. I am so happy I can hardly contain myself. Thank you Lord for calling me to your true church on earth.

Why Won't People Listen?!

The recent shooting at Fort Hood is a tragedy. However it is not surprising once the name of the shooter was released that something like this could happen. With the shout of Allah Akbar Major Nidal Malik Hasan killed 13 Americans and wounded 30. Hello! Wake up. We have become so tolerant of the Islamic faith in America that we are blinded by their true existence, which is to kill the infidel. That means ANYBODY who is NOT a Muslim. Do you get that?

All we hear from the media and our jackass President is that the muslim religion is peaceful, it is just plagued by fundamentalist radicals. That is one big load of BS. I'm sorry, but this part of the Catholic faith I completely disagree with which is the muslims are somehow saved too because they are a people of the book and claim descent from Abraham. Outright murder of innocent life and to have a doctrine that teaches such thought is from the pit of hell and not of God.

This so called Major Hasan survived the shootout and is recovering and will be interrogated. He will be found guilty and will face a firing squad. BUT the ACLU will come in and say he was mentally unstable and that the military caused him to kill people and he will get off without punishment. If this happens I hope he meets with an unfortunate demise.

The Next Step

This Sunday, October 25th will mark the next step in my journey toward full communion in the Catholic Church. Several of us will be going through the Rite of Welcoming ceremony during Mass as candidates for full communion. I am very excited and a little nervous about making sure I say and do the right thing. It is not that I'm afraid God will be mad if I mess up (because He wouldn't, by the way), but I don't want to embarrass myself.

What I did not know was from now until Easter (when full communion will bestowed), we will no longer be in Mass after the Liturgy of the Word. Candidates are allowed to stay, but it is more beneficial to leave because a more in depth study with the RCIA team will continue in another room. I'm sort of torn between staying in the service or leaving for further instruction. For now I plan on leaving and getting further instruction.

My journey moves one more step toward full communion, but it is just a step. My Catholic life will be a never ending quest to learn more about the God of the universe. I am just proud to be a part of the true Church of Jesus Christ which he established through His apostles.

The World Is Upside Down

Nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize had to be submitted by February 1st. And after only two weeks in office Barak Obama was able to do mighty feats of extraordinary brilliance to swing the committee to award him the Nobel Peace Prize. The world is upside down. What has been wrong for centuries is now right. And what has been right for centuries is wrong.

God help us all.

No... Lord

We find it hard sometimes to obey our Lord and master, but we must consider who we call Lord. When Peter confronted Jesus and tried to stop him from going to Jerusalem Jesus rebuked him by saying "get behind me Satan." Peter is a good example of our human failings as we follow our Lord.

Peter once again says no to Jesus in the upper room when Jesus came to wash Peter's feet during the Passover meal. When Jesus said Peter would have no part in Him if he wouldn't allow it, Peter responds to having his whole body washed. Isn't this our response from time to time?

What does the word Lord mean when we call Jesus our Lord? To Lord it over someone is to have a position of authority. If we choose to be led by that position of authority, say as a subject to a King then our response is to obey.

When we say no to God then we don't believe He is our King and in charge of our lives. We set ourselves up as our own authority and relegate Christ to a "bathing suit," which is something we use only when the time is right.

In fact when we say "No Lord" we are really saying "no! oh you who must be obeyed." We don't have the right to call Christ Lord if we say no to Him. Because He is Lord He must be obeyed, otherwise He is not the Lord of our lives.

The next time you hear the Lord's voice think about your response.

Challenge Questions for Non-Catholics

Questions I Challenge Christians to Pray About, Ask Themselves, & Research (using different sources --- including Orthodox, Catholic and purely secular scholarly ones). Please, consider this exercise. Write out your answers as you go along to look at them at the end. All I ask is that you are honest, open-minded, and prayerful:

Where did the Bible come from? When was it codified? What books were first listed as belonging in the Christian canon? How has the canon changed over time in various groups? What books were included in the first edition of the King James Bible? When did the Council of Jamnia take place, who were its members, and what did it do?

Before the Books of the Bible were canonized, how was the Gospel spread? Before the printing press was invented some one-thousand and five hundred years after Christ, how was the Gospel spread? How do the answers to these questions apply to the concept of "sola scriptura," or the "Bible alone" as the rule of faith? What does 2 Peter 3:16 warn against? 2 Peter 1:20-21 says Scripture is of ___ ____________ _____________? What does the word "profitable" mean? In 2 Timothy 3:16-17, what does the word "profitable" mean? Does "profitable" mean "is sufficient for" in any dictionary? Was there a New Testament canon at the time Paul wrote that verse? If not, then what Scripture was he referring to?

What do 2 Thessalonians 2:15, 2 Thessalonians 3:6 and 1 Corinthians 11:2 say about Tradition? When did this Tradition stop being in effect? What did Jesus mean when He told his followers to heed those who sat on the Chair of Moses in Matthew 23:2? What does that say about Jesus' expectations for his followers to obey earthly authority?

What does 1 Timothy 3:15 indicate is the rule of faith? What do you believe is the rule of faith, and why?

The man to whom Jesus is speaking in Matthew 16:18-19: what was his name before those verses? What was his name after those verses? What does that name mean? What language did Jesus speak? What is the name given to this man in Jesus' original language? What does that word mean? What other people in the Bible were given name changes? What did name changes signify in Hebrew life? What metaphoric object does Jesus give the man in Matthew 16:18-19? What does this symbolize? What did they symbolize in Isaiah 22? What are "binding and loosing"?

If Christ is a High Priest, and we are members of His royal priesthood, what are the offerings of each? If Christ is a High Priest forever, can his offerings have stopped? Did the fact that the Israelites were members of the royal priesthood negate the ordained Levite priesthood? Did the New Testament Church have bishops, elders (presbyteros, priests), and deacons or was it non-hierarchical? What is the rebellion of Korah mentioned in Jude 1:11? (hint: see Numbers 16:3) What does it mean that Jesus is a "High Priest after the order of Melchizedek"? In John 6:52-58, what is the meaning of the word "is"? In I Corinthians 11:23-30, why does Paul say some people become sick -- and what does that indicate to you? Since Messiah has come, where today are the incense and "pure offering" offered up as predicted in Malachi 1:10-11? What is the root word of the word "priest"? What is the root word of the word "presbyter"?

How does Paul refer to himself in 1 Corinthians 4:14-15? In what way do the Apostles treat new Christians according to 1 Thessalonians 2:11? How does Paul refer to Isaac in Romans 9:10? How does John address his audience in 1 John 2:13?

What does I Peter 3:18-21 say baptism does? Whom does Acts 2:38-39 say that baptism is for? Whom does it indicate the promise of baptism is for? What does Colossians 2:11-12 compare baptism with? When were people circumcized to enter into the Old Covenant (i.e., at what age)? Did or did not Paul baptize entire households? In John 3:1-7, it says we are to be baptized in the Spirit and _______? In Whose name are we to be baptized according to Matthew 28:19? Do you believe something different about Baptism than what these verses teach? If so, why? How did the earliest Christians baptize according to the non-canonical writings of the earliest Christians (e.g., the Didache)?

According to Acts 8:14-17 and Acts 19:5-6, what did Peter, Paul and John do in addition to baptizing? Do you believe that what they did is unimportant? If so, why?

What do Proverbs 28:13 and 1 John 1:9 say we should do with our sins? What authority was given to the twelve who were with Jesus in the Upper Room in John 20:21-23? What power was given speficially to Simon Peter in Matthew 16:19? What sort of ministry is described in 2 Corinthians 5:18? Do you believe something different than what these verses teach? If so, why?

How does James 5:14 describe how the elders (presbyters, priests) dealt with the sick? What did they use to help the sick? Does the faith community you're involved with do this? If not, why not?

What does Matthew 19:6 say about marriages that are put together by God? Does your faith community teach something different? If so, why?

Mark 12:26-27 says that God is the God of what three people? What does it say about these three people (i.e., what condition are they in)? Is God the God of Abraham? Is God the God of the dead? How can he be both the God of Abraham but not the God of the dead but the living? What does Revelation 6:9-10 say about what the "souls of them that were slain" are doing? Where are those souls? What does Hebrews 12:1 say we are surrounded by? Who are they? What does this say about those who die in Christ? Does your faith community teach something different? If so, why?

What woman in Scripture gave birth to the man who was to rule all nations? Where does Revelation 12 say this woman is? What does the word "magnify" mean? In Luke 1:46-49, what does "magnify" mean? Who is the "Queen in Gold" of Psalm 45:10-17? In what ways does this Psalm make Luke 1:48 clear?

If Christ is the New Adam Christ (Romans 5:14-15, 1 Corinthians 15:22, 1 Corinthians 15:45), who is the New Eve? Who are the only two people in the Old Testament to have been without original sin from their first moments?

What three things did the Ark of the Covenant have within it (hint: see Hebrews 9:4)? What did Mary carry within her and in what ways are the contents of the Ark similar? Compare Luke 1:39-56 and 2 Samuel 6:2-16: in what ways are the Ark of the Covenant and Mary similar?

What is the Jewish "Mourner's Kaddish" (or "Quaddish") and why is it prayed? What is the meaning of 1 Corinthians 3:13-15? What does Revelation 21:27 say about the unclean? If you were to die right now, today, would you be clean enough to stand before Almighty God? For whom was Paul praying in 2 Timothy 1:16-18 and what was his condition at that time?

What does James 2:24 say about how we are justified? What kind of faith is mentioned in Galatians 5:6? Whom does Jesus say will enter the Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew 7:21? What does Ephesians 2:8-9 say about the possibility of saving ourselves through works? What does that verse say we are saved by? Does your faith community teach either salvation by faith alone or by works alone? If so, why?

What does Hebrews 3:12-14 indicate about the possibility of departing from God? Under what conditions does it say we can be "partakers of Christ"? In what way does Philippians 2:12 say we should approach salvation? Do you approach salvation in this way? If not, why not? Are babies saved? Are 5 year olds saved? 19 year olds? At what point, if any, do the conditions for salvation change and how do your answers affect the concept of "once saved, always saved"?

What does Acts 7:51 say about the ability to resist the Holy Spirit? What does this mean in terms of the existence of free will? Does your faith community teach something different about free will? If so, why?

What does Luke 23:24 indicate about those who act in ignorance? What does Romans 9:15 indicate about the ultimate sovereignty of God?

Revelation 17:15-18 speaks of a whore which is "that great city." What is this city according to Revelation 11:8? Where was Christ crucified?

How did the Jewish historian, Josephus, describe the Temple in Jerusalem that was destroyed in A.D. 70?

Why does Jesus say He came according to John 12:25-27? What is the nature of the Kingdom according to John 18:36? How long has this been the nature of the Kingdom according to Matthew 25:34? What do those three verses say to those who might believe Jesus came (and will come again) to set up an earthly kingdom? Does Galatians 3:7-29 differentiate between the "seed of Abraham" and the Church? Who is a Jew according to Romans 2:28-29? With whom is the New Covenant made according to Jeremiah 31:31-34? Are there people who say they are Jews but are not according to Revelation 2:9 and 3:9? Given these verses, are people properly referred to as "Gentiles" when they enter the New Covenant? Did God keep His promises to the ancient Israelites concerning the Holy Land according to Joshua 21: 43-45, 1 Kings 8: 56, Nehemiah 9: 7-8? Why did they lose their rights to the Holy Land according to Deuteronomy 28: 58-68?

What are the Talmud and Kabbalah? What does the Talmud say about Jesus Christ and Mary? How is modern Judaism different from the religion of the Old Testament?

What objects are described in 1 Kings 6:29? What about in Ezekiel 41:17-19? What does this mean in light of Exodus 20:4?

Did the religion of the Old Testament have a sense of sacred time, sacred space, and sacred objects? Is there anything in the New Testament that indicates the concept of consecrated things/places/times has changed? What media does God use to effect miracles in:



Joshua 3:15; 1 Samuel 4-6; and 2 Samuel 11-1?
______________
Numbers 21:9?
______________
2nd Kings 13:21?
______________
Mark 5:25?
______________
Acts 5:15?
______________
Acts 19:12?
______________



What is the true relationship of the people described as "brothers" in: Genesis 11:26-28 and Genesis 14:14? In Genesis 29:15? In 1 Chronicles 23:21-22? In 2 Kings 10:13-14? In Deuteronomy 23:7 and Jeremiah 34:9? In Matthew 23:8? In John 20:17-18 and Matthew 12:49? In 1 Corinthians 15:6? Who is the real mother of "James, the brother of Jesus" according to your view of these verses: Matthew 27: 55-56, Mark 3:18, Mark 15:40, John 19:25, and Jude 1? What does "firstborn" mean (hint: see Exodus 13:2, Exodus 13:14-15, Numbers 18:15)?


What is "Easter" called in Latin? In Italy, France and Spain? What is it called in Germany, Sweden, and Denmark? What do Byzantine Catholics call it? What is the common root word for all these names? What does that root word indicate about the origins of the holy day known in English speaking countries as "Easter"?

Everyone wants to be part of a "New Testament-style Church" -- but few are the people who read what the earliest Christians wrote! If worshipping and believing like the Apostles did are, indeed, what you want, then why haven't you read thoroughly Sacred Scripture, the Didache (the first century "Teachings of the Twelve Apostles"), Ignatius of Antioch, Clement of Rome, Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, John Chrysostom, Augustine (all of him, not just the parts that, pulled out of context, seem to support various modern positions!), Hippolytus, etc. Even Origen and Tertullian give witness to what the early Christians believed... How can you know what the earliest Church was like if you don't look? What is holding you back? If you read these early Christians' writings, ask yourself: what Church today is like the Church they described? What Church today teaches Bible-based answers to the questions above?

For Those Who Hate the Catholic Church

Ask yourself: why do I hate the Catholic Church? Who taught me what I think I know about the Catholic Church? Is what I was taught true? Have I looked at what the Catholic Church has to say about itself, using official resources such as the Catechism of the Catholic Church and papal encyclicals? Could my opinion of the Catholic Church possibly be based on bias, bigotry, bad history, propaganda from the secular media, or the bad priests who get publicity (i.e., the sick, and sickening, ephebophile priests or those certain heretical modernist priests the secular media love to give press to)? Is it fair to judge doctrine by such things? Is any group with human beings in it free from sin and scandal? If I am wrong about the Catholic Church, what does that mean?

Here are some common myths about the Catholic Church:

Because Catholics reject the tradition of "sola fide" ("faith alone"), they think they can work their way into Heaven and believe they are saved by works
Catholics think the pope does not sin
Catholics re-crucify Christ at their Masses (or at least think they do)
Catholics think Mary is part of the Godhead and is to be worshipped
Catholics worship statues
Catholics think they can't pray to God directly but have to go through saints
Catholics conjure the dead
Catholics believe people can be saved after they die
The Catholic Church teaches that one who isn't formally a Catholic is damned to Hell
The Crusades are an example of Catholic aggression
The Inquisition(s) killed hundreds of thousands of people and targeted Jews
Pope Pius XII was "Hitler's Pope" and didn't do a thing to help Jews during WWII
The Catholic Church wasn't around until the time of Constantine, a pagan who controlled the Church. The Catholic Church did more than baptize pagan calendar days for the good of Christ, it is pagan in its very roots.


If you believe any of the above myths, I implore you to research. For doctrinal questions, ask the Church what it teaches; it's the only fair thing to do. For historical questions, look at balanced and objective scholarly research from a variety of sources (including Catholic ones).

And as you research, keep in mind the common logical fallacies that are often used in attacks against Catholicism:

Generalization:
"I knew a Catholic/ex-Catholic (or I was a Catholic) who was (mean, a drunk, not holy, didn't like the Church, was superstitious, didn't know the Bible, didn't have a deep relationship with Jesus, etc.), so therefore, the teachings of the Catholic Church are wrong." (Ignores the fact that bad catechesis, misunderstandings, or other shortcomings of a few Catholics do not reflect on what the Catholic Church teaches)

Bifurcation:
"If the Catholic Church doesn't teach that it's faith alone that saves, then it must teach that men are saved by their own works." (Ignores that we teach that we are saved by Grace alone -- a Grace with which we must cooperate through "faith that works in love")

Cum hoc ergo propter hoc:
"Winter Solstice is on 21 December; Christmas is 25 December. Therefore, Christmas is a pagan holiday. (Ignores that fact that there are only 365 days to choose from in a year and that the early Church Fathers had good reasons to choose the date they did. It also ignores that Protestants' "Reformation Day" is celebrated on 31 October, the pagan festival of Samhain.)

Post hoc ergo propter hoc:
"Constantine must have been the real source of the Catholic Church's teachings because after his reign the Church grew tremendously, and before his reign it wasn't as well-known" (Ignores the simple fact that Constantine merely stopped the persecution of Christians with the Edict of Milan and allowed Christianity to spread. It also ignores the writings of the Church Fathers who lived before Constantine -- and who were Catholic.)

Straw man:
"You guys worship statues, and that's evil. Therefore, your religion is Satanic." (Ignores that fact that we don't worship statues)
Meanwhile: The Final Challenge
... and now I challenge each of you who calls on the Name of the Lord to take two hours of your life to listen to theologian and former very anti-Catholic Presbyterian minister, Scott Hahn, and to Rosalind Moss, who was raised Jewish and later became Evangelical. Both are now Catholic; don't you want to know why? Truly, I challenge you to listen and pray and think about what you hear, all with an open heart to God's will.

REPRINT from fisheater.com

Prayer

As a former Protestant we were taught that repetitious prayer was vain and that Christ taught against such prayer. We were taught NOT to say the Lord's prayer everyday or to make it part of our "prayer chest." The Lord's prayer was merely a model by which we were to develop our prayers to God. This idea is pure mumbo-jumbo. Protestants have long taken out of context Christ's admonition against vain repetitious prayer (which I will not debate at this time) thus shutting the door on an amazing conversation with God.

Since I have begun my journey to become Catholic I have been exposed to the treasury of prayer used by the Church. My first real exercise in prayer was learning the Rosary. At first I found it hard to say the Rosary because of my Protestant understanding of prayer. After all wasn't saying 50 Hail Mary's vain repetition? But I made myself do it. Soon it became a joy to do and I was able to say the complete Rosary from memory. My only problem was how to meditate on the mysteries while saying the Hail Mary's. So I assumed that the only way to do that was to contemplate and meditate on each mystery first before preceding to the 10 Hail Mary's. But something happened along the way. I received a revelation, an understanding, an epiphany that made the Church's treasury of prayers come alive.

While praying for a dear friend, whom I met through RCIA I discovered something new. I told my friend I would pray the Rosary on her behalf and ask intercession from our Lady. As I began vocalizing the Hail Mary portion I found I could concentrate on my friend and ask specific things for her. Let me explain what I mean, it's kind of complicated.

The repetitious "ness" of the Hail Mary portion just came out. I no longer concentrated to make the words come out of my mouth, they just came. This freed my mind to talk to Our Lady in conversation about my friend. I heard myself saying the Hail Mary's while I was talking in my head like we do when we read a book to ourselves. It's like doing two different things at the same time. It was amazing. I decided to analyze what this meant and came up with this observation:

The words we speak out loud in prayer are designed to approach the Deity in holiness. They are a proper form of respect that opens the doorway to God himself. As the door opens we walk in with our mind and bring our petitions, our praises, our requests, our heart, our gratitude...US to the Lord.

Memorizing the great treasury of prayers of the Catholic Church opens the door to God. The language of each prayer becomes a door opener. As we chant these prayers that have become most familiar to us they begin to come out of our mouth without having to concentrate on saying the words. We hear ourselves and know what we are saying is the prayer we chose to pray, but our mind begins our personal conversation with the Lord. I hope I have shown what I have discovered in an understandable way. This type of repetitious prayer, frowned upon by Protestants is necessary to approach the Deity in such a way as to free the mind to speak our hearts.

This is how I pray. This is not the only way to pray, but to me it has become a complete joy and something I look forward to each day. Try it if you can. It does take time to learn to do. The spiritual reward is tremendous!

Life In Christ

"Christian, recognize your dignity and, now that you share in God's own nature, do not return to your former base condition by sinning. Remember who is your head and of whose body you are a member. Never forget that you have been rescued from the power of darkness and brought into the light of the Kingdom of God."
- St. Leo the Great

Christian, we do well and always to keep St. Leo the Great's admonition in our hearts, and renew each day as a call from God in our lives to serve our King with pure and chaste hearts relishing the joy of our transformation (as we partake of the heavenly meal present in the Eucharist), into the image of His Son.

Our faith is ancient and timeless reaching into eternity past set up for us by the Ancient of Days. He reaches into time and claims those who hear his voice and leads us to his family on earth. The family has endured many trial and tribulation since it was set up for us at Christ's Ascension to the Father's right hand. He has always kept a remnant of his people who remain united to the cause and family of His beloved people. His home on earth resides with the only church the Father's Son dared proclaim, the Catholic Church.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, who was and is and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Let The Persecution Begin

Why do people become so passionate about an issue and lose sight of the big picture, the ultimate goal? Several days ago I went public to my Protestant friends that I was converting (actually going home, but I'll use their language) to Catholicism. Why, one would have thought I was the devil himself. A best friend sticks by you through thick or thin. Mine must not have really been my best friend. Rather than respect for my decision I got chastisement, "you ought to know better."

My friend and I believe that Jesus is the Christ, that he died for our sins, he rose again from the dead and is seated at the right hand of the Father. We both believe there is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved. So why the division of our friendship. I didn't leave. Rather than respect my decision he sought to show me the error of my ways. He also said that the bible was his only authority and that church tradition cannot be taken into account, even going so far as to say the Catholic Church made up their doctrines and THEN found Scripture to support them, which is completely absurd!

If people want to argue they need to make sure they know what they are talking about. But our big picture is our focus on Jesus Christ and ministering to those Christ has called us to help. The big picture is the Kingdom of God here on earth. Why do so many people wait for the Kingdom as if it were not here. Look around the globe. People are hurting and need Jesus, His love, His works NOW! When Jesus comes then it won't be necessary to help the world. Live the Kingdom now. Get off your hands and stop fighting over Protestant or Catholic. Christ knows who are His. He knows where the church He established is. If you want to bring them home trade bickering for humility. Trade vitriol for charity. Love them regardless of the hate they spew back.

Those who wish to call us names or treat us like the devil are just ignorant of the facts or truly don't wish to learn anything. Most who wish to argue with us aren't at all interested in why we made the decision to join the Catholic Church, but only why their position is superior as if we needed to be saved from ourselves. I will never understand this. Therefore, as I stated before I choose not to argue the point anymore. My response will only be to bless them and pray for their peace. Unfortunately my so called friend said he didn't need my prayers for his peace of mind and that my decision did not burden him in anyway. Oh really........

LIAR!

Either our current president is ignorant of the current health care legislation before both houses of Congress and what is contained in them, or he is an out and out LIAR. Adolf Hitler once said, "if you tell a lie long enough it will become the truth." I have read HR 3200. Nothing in Obama's speech was the truth concerning the bill. Congressman Wilson was right to call Obama a LIAR.

The current political atmosphere and general trends of those in power and in the media show to any discerning American that people in those positions have no shame. A lie means nothing to them, especially if it furthers their agenda.

Wake up America! How much longer will you tolerate evil from our elected officials. How much longer will you keep voting back in the same scoundrels year after year after year!!! Unfortunately our Constitution does not allow us to vote everyone out of office at the same time, BUT it's time we elect non-career politicians, those who don't know how to work the system for their own benefit.

WAKE UP!!!!!

RCIA Starts A New Phase

My journey has now taken a new step. My RCIA standing has moved from the Inquiry stage to formal "classroom" stage. Soon I will participate in the Rite of Welcome and receive my sponsor. This new phase is exciting in that I feel more and more Catholic, even though I have been living as one. I am now closer to partaking from the Lord's table in the Eucharist. Step by step I am moving toward the greatest day of my life when I can truly receive the REAL body and blood of Christ, which is the life giving nourishment I have starved for, going on now for 36 years.

Another happy phase for me is I will have the albatross of a failed marriage to a godless (who really needs Christ) woman. I made a terrible mistake, only to be told by those close to the both of us that I should have never married her (I admit there were signs before we married, but I was blind to the truth). Because this was my only marriage and this was her second an annulment will be granted since she, in the eyes of the Catholic Church is still married to her first husband. I don't ever plan on getting married again so the annulment is not really necessary. But I want to someday enter the priesthood, therefore it is necessary. God is good. I finally feel my bad mistakes and choices are behind me. I look forward to the Sacrament of Penance so I can be rid of the pain once and for all! Amen and Amen!

The Catholic Church Remains True To The Word Of God

Society since the 1960's has been in a slow downward spiral with respect to moral issues. Now it seems to be moving at a more alarming pace. When I was a kid it was unheard of to see or hear about things of a personal and intimate nature about people on TV. Now you can't get away from commercials that talk about "male enhancement" or "feminine itch" etc. We are bombarded with garbage day in and day out, on TV, in our schools, our government officials, and others just to name a few, to the point that people have no shame. Even if you wanted to get away from it like shutting off the TV it still comes into your life. So what now.

In the face of this growing trend of "no shame" or "anything goes" the Catholic Church remains a bastion of truth and a staunch bulwark against the forces who would spew compromise and lukewarmness about the word of God. Bishop Martino from the Diocese of Scranton, PA retired this week under what was probably a burden of his office. Why? In an article from Catholic Online by Deacon Keith Fournier entitled "Thank You Bishop Martino for your Fidelity and Courage" Fournier writes:

"The Bishop was correct to challenge the poor judgment of Misericordia University, a Catholic College in his Diocese which sponsored, through its scandalous “Diversity Institute”, an advocate/activist of the movement among some practicing homosexuals to obtain a legal equivalency between homosexual paramours and those who are married. An activist leader came to the Catholic College campus and spoke on the very matters which orginally raised the Bishops proper concerns.The school was given explicit directions to not host the speaker and willfully disobeyed their Bishop. The homosexual activist intentionally used a Catholic platform to directly oppose the truth as revealed by the Natural Law, confirmed by Revelation and taught by the Magisterium of the Catholic Church concerning human love in the Divine plan, to young men and women. That University knew better and allowed it all to happen, knowing full well the potential confusion and scandal it would cause. Of course the Bishop had to speak out! So should many other Bishops who currently have similar situations happening - right now - in Catholic Colleges and universities within their own Dioceses!"

Notice Fournier said "Of course the Bishop had to speak out!" So much of our current history is rife with liars and con artists because it has been tolerated for so long. Bishop Martino is an example of not giving in to those who wish to promote their perverted life style on the rest of us. As you already know there are those in the Christian community (Lutherns and Episcopalians) who tolerate blantant sin in their pews and clergy. It's time all of us take a stand as Bishop Martino did and start DEFENDING the Word of God and not compromise where the Word is clear. We are called to love the sinner, but to admonish and direct their path to the will of God, not tolerate their sin as the "politically correct" thing to do. Pray for Bishop Martino and the Catholic Church as we rightly defend and protect the Word of God and life.

Living The Kingdom

Given the current fervor over health care and the possible descent of our country into pure socialism, we must keep our eye on who we serve and the purpose of our lives. As a former Protestant I was taught that the world would end soon and Jesus' return was right around the corner. A little bit of research shows that this way of thinking has been around for 2000 years.

Because of this way of thinking many believers put off getting married, or having children, even refusing to do any thing including work because Jesus would be here soon and put everything right. Tragically, productive abundant filled living became fodder for a pessimistic view of the world. We are called to a higher view.

The Kingdom of God is not something that will be ushered in at the return of Christ, although it certainly will be so, it is the realm we as Christians must live now. His Kingdom must be lived now if the present world is to be changed for the good. We are not called to wait for the Kingdom to come, we are called to live it day by day showing the people of the world the love of Christ.

For far to long Christians have been content to sit in the pews on Sunday and then live the rest of the week without power to change. Our faith is an active faith. Living the Sermon on the Mount is not something that magically will happen just because we believe in Jesus. Many tune out the Holy Spirit which calls to mind the will of the Lord. We must actively live in accord with it as St. James said "faith without works is dead." The Kingdom of God is living according to God's word. Our way is an optimistic way. Listen for the Holy Spirit and live before your King as a loyal subject who desires to do His will.

Patience Is A Virtue

The body and blood of Christ is the most sacred part of the Mass. The Eucharist is the reason I want to go to Mass, even though I have yet to become confirmed. Each Sunday my yearning for Christ in the Eucharist becomes more and more unbearable. I know what it means to consume the actual body and blood of Christ and the graces involved, but alas I must wait before I can partake of His table.

Now my patience is assaulted as I move through the RCIA process. I have studied Catholicism for two years prior to attending my first Mass as well as beginning the RCIA process. The questions I had about Catholicism as a former Protestant have been answered to my satisfaction. Areas where I am not sure about I'm perfectly comfortable to accept the Catholic Church's teaching. So I'm ready, but alas I must wait.

When the time comes for me to take my first communion I am sure I'm going to "loose it." Absence makes the heart grow fonder. I almost think the RCIA process is suppose to be a long process on purpose to create the yearning of the heart for the table of the Lord. Patience is a virtue. Mine as a school teacher is tried every day so I'm used to waiting for things to happen or progress to be made from my students, but waiting to partake the Lord is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. It hurts. Lord forgive me for my impatience and strengthen my resolve to wait on your schedule and remove any bitterness that may rear it's ugly head.

What Happened To My First Love? Conclusion

So after my baptism in the Worldwide Church of God I became invovled with the stuff of church. I found myself more concerned with doing the right "church stuff" that Jesus became a second issue. I no longer talked with Him like I did before. Maybe it was because I was now going to church and felt I had now been baptized correctly that I didn't need Him anymore.

After 12 years of WCG stuff and the changes that occured (see posting on Crossing the Tiber) I left the WCG. I and my wife (now ex-wife, that's another issue) and children began to look for another church. This wasn't easy because my wife grew up in the WCG, I didn't. She stayed at the WCG for two more years while I stayed at home. Finally she left and we began looking for a church that we could agree on. Once we did I became involved, but she didn't. After two years we left and found another church. I became involved, she didn't so she left and I stayed. All this time I was never satisfied. I felt something was missing. Finally I quit going to church too.

A friend of mine from the last church I attended left and formed a bible study group which I began to attend. But something still wasn't adding up. All this time I kept waiting for someone or thing to give me a definite answer on the truth. I became annoyed at all the different scripture interpretations I was hearing. I wanted it to stop. Somewhere there had to be a final authority that said this is what it means and nothing else. Anybody could do that, but there was no authority behind it. Whose authority could I trust. So I decided to go back to the beginning of the Christian church to find who had the authority to say this is it. During this search I found myself being poked from the corner (the corner I put Jesus in, see previous post). Jesus said "I'm over here, remember me? You and I used to be close. I tried to show you where you needed to be, but you left me to do your own church thing. I'm glad you are coming back to me so we can continue our conversation. You are now heading in the right direction, keep on coming, the true Feast is awaiting you."

My first love is back. I can hear his voice again, though it be faint I'm walking and talking to him once more. I long for the day we can be together at his table in the form of the Eucharist. Thanks Jesus for calling me home.

Why Argue?

I have found it difficult to hold conversations with some of my Protestant friends who desparately want me not to convert to Catholicism. They continue to want to argue their points but have no place to listen to my own. So I choose not to argue anymore. I just tell them "my 2000 years trumps your 500 years. You (Protestants) decided to leave in 1517. The church did not leave you. I just came back home. You can do the same."

Just Another Reason The Truth Still Lies With The Catholic Church

I normally don't comment on stuff like this, but here goes. The Catholic Church is a staunch defender of the Word of God. They do not compromise the Word of God to fit current societal morals. The Lutheran church's stance on openly gay clergy is a prime example of perversion. Yes all churches, Protestant and Catholic have their share of "closet" gays and sinners, but the Catholic church will not pervert or change the Word of God to sanction open sin but calls those to repentance. The Lutheran Church now joins with the Episcopal Church in their perversion. Repent! Or risk damnation.

What Happen To My First Love? Part 4

It was the spring semester of 1989. I still had a few classes left to take before I could graduate the coming spring (1990) from college. I had put off taking the only required Math class I needed to graduate several times. Everytime I signed up for the class I would end up dropping it because I couldn't pass the first test. Now I had to pass it if I wanted to graduate in the spring and I wasn't ready to give up this time because I needed to move on with my life and take responsibility.

During this time my relationship with Jesus was strong. He walked with me. I spoke to him as if he were right beside me no matter where I went he was there. I told Jesus that I was not going to pass my math class without his help and that I needed him to take over for me because I just couldn't understand half of what I was learning. Jesus responded with mighty help. I passed every test I took and passed the class with a C. When I got my results from my final examine I wept all the way back to my apartment and lay on the floor prostrate praising and giving thanks to God for doing it for me. You see I understood NOTHING! NOTHING! I had NO idea what I was doing on all my math examines, yet my lowest score was an 80. Do you get it? I HAD NO IDEA WHAT I WAS DOING! So the only POSSIBLE way I could pass the class was if Jesus would do it for me. I believe He did! There is no other way to explain it.

My walk with Jesus was incredible. I began seeing things in my life work out for the better each day. Jesus was my best friend. I couldn't stop talking about what He had done for me to anyone who would listen. This was how things were between us. Then I met with the Worldwide Church of God minister to discuss baptism. Once he was sure I understood what the WCG taught and I understood what baptism would do he invited me to church and would baptize me after the service. It was August 12, 1989. It was the greatest day of my life. My first love, Jesus was at it's high point. Now as a member of the Worldwide Church of God I thought I had come home. Little did I know that being a member of the WCG would cause me to forget Jesus and begin to live like an old covenant Pharisee, the very people Jesus denounced.

I began alienating my friends and family. If they weren't a member of the WCG they were going to hell. If they kept Christmas or didn't rest on the TRUE sabbath (Friday evening to Saturday evening) or didn't keep the Jewish Holy days such as Tabernacles, Trumpets and the rest were going to hell as well. Jesus went to a corner somewhere waiting for me to come back to him. This blog is my journey on how I found Jesus in the corner waiting for me.

Stay tuned for more.

What Happened To My First Love? Part 3

The name of the TV program was "The World Tomorrow." It was put on by the Worldwide Church of God. What intrigued me most was their willingness to offer a subscription to their monthly magazine, "The Plain Truth" and booklets elaborating the subject covered by the program FREE of charge. At that time no religious organization on TV offered anything for free. This was also during the time televangelists were in trouble like the PTL club, Jimmy Swaggart and all the others. So the WCG to me was honest and upfront. So I subscribed to their magazine and ordered their booklets. I devoured them. I couldn't get enough. I even purchased a study bible. I devoured the Bible. I couldn't get enough. My walk with Christ was rekindled from my teen days (see previous posts).

I repented, stopped the partying and buckled down with my college studies and graduated. I walked from my apartment each day to campus and back again talking to Jesus, or listening to the word on my Sony Walkman (remember those?). Christ had never left me. That's why I couldn't stay a Hindu or a muslim or an atheist. The Holy Spirit was there the whole time. Soon I became aware through my reading of WCG literature that I really didn't have the Holy Spirit (because at that time I didn't know I still had him), according to WCG I had been baptized incorrectly (I was poured in the Methodist Church, see previous posts) and I needed to be rebaptized (according to them I had to be fully immersed and have hands laid on me to receive the Holy Spirit) so I sought out a WCG minister. One contacted me and we met. I was so excited. Soon I would be baptized and I could begin going to the local congregation of the WCG. Little did I know at that time I was on the road to losing my first love...Jesus.

Stay tuned for more.

What Happened To My First Love? Part 2

The year was 1984. I had already spent three years in college drifting around for direction. I am a trumpet player and at the time I was spending most of my time playing in every ensemble I could in the music department even though I wasn't a music major. I had told myself I would never be a band director because there was no money in it, so I looked at various majors and tried them out to see what I was most interested in, even though I was a music major in all but name.

I really didn't like myself much at this point because of all the partying and irresponsible behavior I was exhibiting. I needed a savior. I needed Christ, but at that time in my life I had already experienced that and had a bad taste for it all (see my last post for why). So began my spiritual journey. Around this time, 1984-85 the movie Ghandi came out and I was moved by it and so I became interested in Mahattma Ghandi. Which in turn led me to his religion, Hinduism. I decided to give Hinduism a try.

The first thing I did was buy what is considered by Hindu's their holy book among many called the Bhavigad Gita. The main god of the Hindu's was Krishna. I say main god because Hinduism is polytheistic. I began worshiping Krishna by burning incense and praying to a painting that depicted Krishna. I also began believing in reincarnation because Hindus do. All of this began to just feel downright wrong. I could not feel any sense of fulfillment. I still felt empty. The more I studied about Eastern religion the more I couldn't believe what they were teaching. None of it made sense. So after about a year of this I decided to abandon Hinduism because it was dead and empty. In retrospect I can remember the Holy Spirit saying "what are you doing, Jesus is the way!" the whole time I was "practcing" the Hindu religion. Of course at the time I had no idea it was the Holy Spirit telling me that. I just assumed it was my guilty conscience warning me to stop.

My next stop on my spiritual journey led to Islam, that's right Islam. I bought a Koran at a yard sale and began reading. One of the first things that troubled me about the Koran was that none of it made sense. The reason was that the book was not in any specific order and was very chaotic. I spent less time in Islam as I did in Hinduism because Allah seemed to be schizophrenic. This was not for me. And again it all felt wrong anyway. So I put my spiritual journey on hold and went back to partying and wasting time.

After four years of college I had nothing to show for my progress. I had become a business major, a political science major, and an engineering tech major. I had passed several classes toward any degree but dropped or withdrew from the rest. All the while playing in every instrumental ensemble I could. So I finally wised up and said screw the money music is where my heart is so I became a music education major training to become what I at first said I never would, a band director. The partying never stopped however.

Then in 1987 (I was in college from 1981 to 1990) sitting alone in my apartment on a Sunday morning I began flipping through the channels on the TV and came across this program that appeared at first to be a news program so I stopped and began watching. I soon found out that it was not a news program but a Christian program talking about prophecy and the end of the world as it related to current events. I was hooked. I watched the entire program.

Stay tuned for more....

What Happened To My First Love?

My parents took my sister and I to the United Methodist church while we were children. It was important to them that we were exposed to God and moral teaching. I don't remember much about those years other than playing Joseph in the Christmas play every year, not looking forward to Vacation Bible School (it was because school was in the title and summer you were not supposed to go to school), a few youth group trips and finally my meetings with the Pastor and subsequent baptism (age 12). After my baptism the Pastor said something to me, that shortly led to my leaving the church altogether. He told me that because of my baptism I would no longer sin again. In retrospect I now know what he meant by that, but then I realized those words were not true as I understood them then because I soon sinned again. Little did he realize those words caused me to leave the church and forget about Christ. I thought I had been lied to, so I wanted no part of it anymore.

So while I was in Junior High and High School I never graced the door of a church. My parents reason for going to church was for my sister and I to get a moral teaching. When I quit or no longer wanted to go anymore they quit as well (along with my sister). My parents to date are not interested in religion. They don't want to talk about it only to say they both have made their peace with God, whatever that means. When I started college I got caught up in the party scene and wasted my time there, all the while feeling a tug to return to God, not necessarily Christ but a creator of all. Thus began my TRUE search for meaning of life, why I did the things I did and does God exist as well as whose religion is the true one.

Stay tuned to my next post, this will be handled in different posts because the story is rather long.

Crossing the Tiber, Conclusion

I would like to clear up what might be confusion on a time issue in my last post. The time between my leaving Fellowship Baptist and attending my first Mass was 5 years. My first Mass was over a month ago.

Now to rap up my journey to the present. About two years ago, I'm not sure, maybe more, it was when Pope Benedict came to the United States, I began exploring Catholicism. In fact it began after I saw the Pope's outdoor Mass on television when he came to visit. Being Protestant, especially being exposed to the pre-mill. dispensationalist view, I was taught that the Pope was the antichrist and that the Catholic church was the beast. What I saw in Pope Benedict was not an antichrist, but a sincere loving committed Christian. Now for you Protestants out there who would then throw up the Scripture "the devil can be disguised as an angel of light" or the saying "beware of wolves in sheep's clothing" as an excuse to watch out and not be deceived need to swallow your words...they don't apply here. Have you heard the man speak or read any of his writings!? This man does not demand worship, he is not setting himself up as a christ. Besides all of this is moot because John already said antichrist's were present in his day and dispensationalists are misguided anyway with their eschatology. But I digress once again.

Now back to the story. For the past two years I have read and researched anything I could get my hands on to disprove my sudden longing for the Catholic Church. Because I had been indoctrinated (not educated) against the Catholic Church for so long it made me nervous to be exploring it. I had to throw out my preconceived ideas and go at it with a blank slate. Could Roman Catholicism stand on it's own and could it actually be the Church Christ founded when he "gave the keys" to Peter? Is this the true church of God? And if so, should I become a member? These questions I set out to answer.

A college buddy of mine who is Catholic (who has been very helpful in my journey) suggested I read Scott Hahn's book "Rome Sweet Home" which I did. Reading Scott's book and viewing Mass on EWTN helped tremendously in understanding what Catholics believe and really do. Another book by David Currie, "Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic" filled in the spots Scott Hahn's book did not address. After completing those books the veil began to come off my face and the scales came off my eyes. I began living as a Catholic, before ever attending a Mass. Finally I could stand it no longer. I had to make the move. The burden of not acting would not go away so I called my local parish priest and we met. He was very warm and kind. I told him what I had been reading and where I stood. He told me the first thing I should do is come to Mass and see. I haven't looked back since. I continue to go to Mass longing for the day I can receive my first love again at His table!

This concludes this series, which is just a general overview, of Crossing the Tiber. More to follow in different titles on my current spiritual journey.

Crossing the Tiber, Part 4

While at Fellowship Baptist a new family came and began attending. One of my college students knew them and said I should get to know (my best friend) Greg. He said Greg was a Preterist and that a lot of my views Greg held to. Needless to say we became fast friends. Greg hosts a family Bible study which has become a rather large gathering of friends and family. So I began to attend. Greg convinced me through the Scripture the validity of his position on eschatology. I being amill. at the time my pump was primed to understand the Preterist position, which is almost the same as the Catholic position (the Catholic Church is amill. or what some would call Part-Preterist). I hold to the Catholic understanding because the full Preterist standing denies a future return of Christ and I'm not sure that portion of Preterism is true.

Greg and I are still best friends, but he doesn't want me to become Catholic. He is using the same tired excuses that most Protestants are ignorant of, such as "we worship Mary" or "we believe that the bread and wine really become the body and blood of Jesus" (which by the way is a straw man since Scripture doesn't say that it isn't), or "we believe that Tradition and Scripture are treated the same"...hello! Who was it that compiled the Scripture and chose the Scripture in the first place! There is a tiny Scripture they just don't want to take into account, Matthew 16:19 which states, Christ is speaking here to Peter, and in another response to all the disciples "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." (NIV) That verse puts all the Catholic teaching in it's place since it is a direct line from Peter. Besides Sacred Tradition was the gospels, letters and Apocalypse BEFORE it was canonized! Don't even get me started about the infallibility of the Pope (another misunderstood concept of Protestants). Nothing burns me more than people speaking about things they have no first hand knowledge of, but I digress.

Oh one more thing, you Protestants who are SO against Sacred Tradition tell me...how is Sacred Tradition any different than listening to your pastor every week who renders his own opinion about the Scriptures? Just another straw man.

Now back to my story. I found it hard to continue with Fellowship Baptist since it taught against my eschatological stance AND was extremely Calvinist, so I left and only continued to go to Greg's bible study. But before too long Greg began teaching things that I could not come to grasp with. All this time between leaving Fellowship and my first Mass (over a month ago) I began searching for an end to all things. I was tired of all the various opinions people put forth about their interpretation of Scripture. I wanted a stone that said this is what it means and nothing else. I needed the boundary. I needed a Rock. So I began my journey to find that Rock that said this is as far as it goes, rest in it. Also this Rock had to be authoritative straight from Christ himself! Where did it start? With the Roman Catholic Church...that's where! More to come, stay tuned.

Crossing the Tiber, Part 3

I spent two years at Grace Fellowship. Most of that was spent participating on the worship team as auxilary percussion and Trumpet player. The size of Grace was over 3000 so we had three worship services each Sunday. I had a blast being on the worship team, lots of great musicians and singers. We played all the contemporary Christian hits of the day. But the church was just so big. It was hard to really meet people. My only friends were worship team members and since I was "the new guy" breaking into their clique was difficult. The preaching was based on pre-mill dispensational eschatology. Funny...they claimed to be non-denominational, but it really was Baptist.

I decided it was just too big for me and I wasn't really friends with anyone except on a superficial level (they were okay to keep it that way), so I decided to leave and find a smaller church. They worship team leader begged me to stay. I was only a value to them once I told them I was leaving.

My next stop was at Fellowhip Baptist Church. At the time I was a pre-mill dispensationalist and a Baptist church seemed the right fit. I was very involved with this church. I coordinated the worship music and taught College age Sunday school. I should mention at this point that from the WCG to Fellowship Baptist my understanding of eschatology was in flux. I could never come to terms with what I was being taught, especially with respect to pre-mill. dispensationalism. None of it added up with Scripture and seemed very convoluted. The more I studied the more I studied my way out of pre-mill. dispensationalism and more to the amill. position.

More to follow...

Crossing The Tiber, Part 2

I need to preface what led up to me leaving the Worldwide Church of God. The WCG was a legalistic faith, by that I mean a Jewish Old Testament faith with Christ as the Messiah. We were required to keep the Holy Feast days spoken of in Leviticus, Trumpets, Tabernacles, Atonement, Pentecost, Passover and so on to be saved. The biggest requirement was keeping the Sabbath, Friday sundown to Saturday sundown. Also we were required to Tithe 10% every year to the church, another 10% for ourselves to spent on the Feast of Tabernacles (basically this was our vacation) and every third year another 10% for the widows and orphans, so every third year 30% of our income went to the church. Needless to say this put a lot of people in financial trouble, including myself.

Through the years the WCG began to soften their stance on a lot of issues and went from a legalistic faith to a grace faith dropping all the requirements made by them for salvation, in essence we were now just like all the other Protestant churches. Thousands left the church over this. The only congregation of the WCG in this area was in Kingsport, TN the one I attended. We went from 375 strong to finally in the end 30. That congregation no longer exists as of this posting.

Because we were now just like the Protestants many left the church, not because of the changes but to go somewhere else much closer to their home. Before the changes people were driving from North Carolina and Virginia to go to church in Kingsport because it was the closest congregation. My family drove from Elizabethton every Saturday. Then the Kingsport congregation moved services to Sunday. That's when I left and I began looking for a new place to worship and wound up at Grace Fellowship Church in Johnson City. ....more to follow, stay tuned.

Crossing the Tiber

For two years I have been on a spiritual journey to find the truth, just who has it and who protects it's treasury. I was 12 years old when I accepted Jesus Christ as my saviour and received baptism through the Methodist Church. Shortly after my baptism the pastor told me I would never sin again. I soon came to see that those remarks were not true. That one statement caused me to leave the Methodist Church and Christianity altogether. At that young age of 12 a lie from an authority figure was very influencial on my way of thinking and I no longer wanted anything to do with Christianity.

However, the Holy Spirit never abandoned me and in 1987 I began asking why my life was the way it was and why I did what I did and how I could be saved from the misery I have brought upon myself. I was in college at the time and was heavily into the party scene. I was wasting time in classes and had no direction. I finally realized I needed help. And so, as the Holy Spirit prepared my mind to accept truth, I came upon a television program called "The World Tomorrow." It looked like a news program, and I was a news junky then so I stopped and watched. It soon became apparent that this was a Christian program steeped in prophectic language. What struck me most was they offered free material and a subscription to their magazine "The Plain Truth" all for free. This was during the time televangelists were asking for money and getting in trouble, so this program was a welcome difference.

I soon became hooked and ordered every free thing they offered and I went out and bought my first Bible. This began my Christian journey for the search for the truth...more to follow.

I soon became convinced I needed the Holy Spirit in my life to turn it around, but according to this new "World Tomorrow" program I had been baptized incorrectly (which of course was not true, but at the time I thought so). So in 1989 a minister from the church that put on the "World Tomorrow" program (the Worldwide Church of God) baptized me, fully immersed and then hands laid on me to receive the Holy Spirit. It was one of the happiest days of my life. But alas over time I lost my first love and got caught up in the legalism of the WCG. After 12 years of empty religion I left the WCG and began my search for what I lost... more to come.