Matthew 6:7, “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.”
God Hates Vain Repetitions!
The chanting of the Roman Catholic Rosary is VAIN
REPETITION!!! It is exactly what God hates. God is not
impressed with such empty and meaningless prayers. Some Catholics try to
justify vain repetitious prayers with Scriptures such as Matthew 26:44, "And
he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same
words." But, asking God three times for the same thing, is
very different than mumbling the same dead words (the Rosary) over and over for
a lifetime.
Furthermore, this was not the norm when Jesus prayed. There are times in our life where we will want to keep asking God for something; but, that is certainly not the same as mumbling the same WRITTEN, dead, repetitious, religious, words over and over. A Catholic repeats 52 "Hail Mary" in each DAILY Rosary prayer. Jesus clearly states that the "heathen" pray with useless repetitions. Since Catholics claim that their repetitious Rosary prayers are not "vain repetitions"; then I ask, who was Jesus speaking about? Do you realize that a faithful Catholic who prayers the Rosary every day, will in a lifetime say "Hail Mary" well over 1,000,000 times!!! Think about it.
And yet, not one mention
is made of the name of Jesus Christ in the Rosary. Like it or not, the
Word of God condemns formalized religion. It is abundantly clear that
the nuns who are chanting the Rosary (which you are now hearing) are praying
with VAIN REPETITIONS.
It is Sinful to Call a Priest "Father"!
I'm
always amazed and saddened at the ignorance of Catholics. I mean,
Matthew 23:9 forbids us from calling any man "Father" (i.e., to respect men as
God); yet, this is exactly what Catholics call their priest.
Victims of Catholicism have even been brainwashed to believe that their priests can forgive sin. We know from 1st Timothy 2:5 that they are LIARS, because ONLY Jesus can forgive sin.
Even the Pharisees of Jesus' day weren't so arrogant as to believe they could actually forgive a person's sins (Mark 2:7). Don't be fooled friend, take a good look at the photo to the left. People are being led to worship the leaders of the Catholic Church. I see photos of people bowing down to statues of the Pope, kissing priests hands, etc. This is so wrong!
The following is the Catholic's defense of calling priests, "Father"...
"Jesus criticized Jewish leaders who love "the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues, and salutations in the market places, and being called ‘rabbi’ by men" (Matt. 23:6–7). His admonition here is a response to the Pharisees’ proud hearts and their grasping after marks of status and prestige."
SOURCE: http://www.catholic.com/library/Call_No_Man_Father.asp
The "Pharisees' proud hearts"? Look again at the above photo. As I said, even the Pharisees of Jesus' day weren't so arrogant as to believe they could actually forgive a person's sins. Who's proud? The Catholic Church LIES to people, by deceiving it's victims into believing that Jesus didn't mean what He said.
For
Catholics to differentiate between the Pharisees of Jesus' day, and the
religious leaders of today, is absurd! Religious leaders are not
to be recognized as anything more than sinful men, who have no special power
with God. Even the greatest men of God, such as the Apostle Paul, are
still sinners, unable to forgive anyone's sin. The Catholic Church says
one thing, but does another.
The Pope Speaks Lies!
In
his Apostolic Letter
“Rosarium Virginis Mariae” (Rosary of the Virgin Mary), Pope John Paul II
declared the Rosary as his favorite prayer, a “prayer for peace and for the family.” Pope
John Paul II goes on to say. ...
"The Rosary of the Virgin Mary, which gradually took form in the second millennium under the guidance of the Spirit of God, is a prayer loved by countless Saints and encouraged by the Magisterium."
SOURCE (APOSTOLIC LETTER, ROSARIUM VIRGINIS MARIAE, OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF JOHN PAUL II TO THE BISHOPS, CLERGY AND FAITHFUL ON THE MOST HOLY ROSARY).
Pope John Paul II claimed that the Rosary took form "under the guidance of the Spirit of God." There is NO proof to substantiate this claim. On the contrary, the Word of God makes no mention whatsoever about praying to Mary. In fact, the Bible never elevates Mary in any capacity, nor does it lead us to recognize her in any way. So why do Catholics elevate Mary when the Word of God doesn't?
Why does the Catholic Church call Mary the "Queen of Heaven," a term from ancient Babylonian pagan worship (Jeremiah 7:18). Clearly, someone is lying, and it's not God (Romans 3:4). The Rosary is just another manmade tradition of Catholicism. Here is a long list of Catholic heretical traditions. These traditions are manmade and are not taught anywhere in the Scriptures.
Pope John Paul II continues...
"The Church has always attributed particular efficacy to this prayer, entrusting to the Rosary, to its choral recitation and to its constant practice, the most difficult problems. At times when Christianity itself seemed under threat, its deliverance was attributed to the power of this prayer, and Our Lady of the Rosary was acclaimed as the one whose intercession brought salvation."
SOURCE: APOSTOLIC LETTER, ROSARIUM VIRGINIS MARIAE, OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF JOHN PAUL II TO THE BISHOPS, CLERGY AND FAITHFUL ON THE MOST HOLY ROSARY)
What blasphemy!!! Pope John Paul II said ... "Our Lady of the Rosary was acclaimed as the one whose intercession brought salvation." Let me tell you something right now, no one can give you salvation other than the Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6). "Our Lady of the Rosary" is a Devilish doctrine manufactured solely by the Catholic religion.
The Word of God never mentions the term "Our Lady." Billions of people have been lied to by the Catholic religion. According to the Catholic Church, it was Our Lady of Fatima (Mary) who promised eternal life to all who would devote to her...
"Our Lady said that many souls would be saved from Hell and the annihilation of nations averted if, in time, devotion to Her Immaculate Heart were established..." -www.fatima.org
Can anyone show me that in the Bible? No, you CANNOT! John 14:6 tells us that the ONLY way to heaven is through Jesus Christ.
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." —John 14:6
“We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29)
Catholicism is a lie! The Message of Fatima is Satanic, totally contrary to the Word of God! NO AMOUNT OF DEVOTION to Mary can save a person from hell. Where in the world did Catholics ever get the crazy idea that Mary is to be recognized at all? Please read A Woman Rides the Beast. Roman Catholicism's origin is in a heathen Babylonian religion which worshipped the "Queen of Heaven" (Jeremiah 44:19,25).
Are you so foolish, to believe the words of sinful men, rather than the Incorruptible Word of God? Carefully consider the Bible's warning that Satan always appears as the good guy, as an angel of light (2nd Corinthians 11:14). When the Devil wants to fabricate another lie, he always starts with the truth, and then adds or subtracts from the truth to corrupt it. The Catholic religion has added all sorts of lies and doctrines of devils to the truth, so that it is no longer the truth; but, it appears as truth to the ignorant.
The only way for us to decipher the truth from the lies, is for us to COMPARE every doctrine to the precious Word of God. John 17:17 declares that God's Word is Truth!
The words of Pope John Paul II don't match up to the Word of God. The practice of the Rosary doesn't match up to the Word of God. Praying with vain repetitions doesn't match up with the Word of God. In fact, 90% of the Catholic religion doesn't match up with the Word of God. It's that 10% of Biblical Truth that draws ignorant people into false religions such as Catholicism, and makes it so difficult for people to see the truth.
I once witnessed to a Mexican woman who had joined the Jehovah Witnesses cult. She had five little girls, who were now being brainwashed by the Jehovah Witnesses. I explained to the mom, from the Word of God, that the Jehovah Witnesses deny Christ's deity, the Godhead, and even go as far as to teach that Michael the archangel became Jesus on earth.
She was totally blinded and said, "But they visited me in the hospital, and they talked about Jesus, and they brought food to my family." I couldn't help but think of Jesus' words in Matthew 7:21-23, and I showed the woman these Scriptures...
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” —Matthew 7:21-23
John 6:40 plainly tells us, “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” Matthew 7:21-23 is one of the most mistranslated and misunderstood passages of Scripture in the Holy Bible concerning salvation. I've heard John MacArthur, Ray Comfort, Billy Graham, Paul Washer and other heretics wrestle this Scripture to their own destruction (2nd Peter 3:16). In each case of the aforementioned false teachers, they all say that the reason why Christ turned these religious workers away is because they still had sin in their daily lives, having failed to properly repent of their sins.
Here for example is Evangelist Ray Comfort commentary on Matthew 7:23...
On page 1197 of THE EVIDENCE BIBLE, Ray Comfort comments on Matthew 7:22-23...
"These are perhaps the most frightening verses in the Bible. Vast multitudes of professing Christians fit into the category spoken of here. They call Jesus 'Lord,' but they practice lawlessness. They profess faith in Jesus, but have no regard for the divine law. They tell 'fibs' or 'white' lies, take things that belong to others, have a roaming eye for the opposite sex, etc. They are liars, thieves, and adulterers at heart, who will be cast from the gates of heaven into the jaws of hell."
SOURCE: THE EVIDENCE BIBLE, by Ray Comfort, pg. 1197; 2003, Bridge-Logos Publishers, Orlando, Florida
Ladies
and gentleman, Ray Comfort is teaching works salvation! According to what we
just read by Ray Comfort, every believer who willingly allows sin in their
life won't be allowed into Heaven. Mr. Comfort is teaching that you cannot
get to Heaven unless you try really hard to stop sinning. This is a
works-based mindset and a false Gospel. What a nerve-racking and miserable
way to live, continually wondering if you'll make it through the pearly
gates when you die (if you've been good enough). My friend, the Bible
teaches something entirely different. In Christianity, we have God's solemn
promise that He will save those who BELIEVE, without works of any sort. We
are safe and 100% secure because of God's imputed righteousness attributed
to every believer through faith in the Gospel.
How I choose to live as a believer is entirely a matter of Discipleship, and not Salvation. Amen! Salvation is completely free; but Discipleship will cost you everything. Salvation relies solely upon God's faithfulness; but Discipleship relies totally upon the believer's faithfulness. Salvation can never be lost; but Discipleship can be lost. For more excellent comparisons, please click HERE.
Anyway, getting back to the Jehovah's Witness woman who wouldn't listen to the Bible. That foolish woman had sold her soul to Satan for some kind words, a box of food, and a hospital visit. Isn't this so typical of people today? People will sell out for money, sex, a promotion, a box of food, a friendly visit, et cetera. Talk about the foolish mouse who wanted the cheese. I meet people like this all the time, who like Esau for a bowl of lentil stew sold his soul. The point I am trying to get across is that you had better follow God's Word, and not man. This woman didn't care about God's Word, all she cared about were the nice things these false prophets did for her (Matthew 7:22-23).
Literally, people will reject the Word of God in favor of satanic false prophets, simply because they brought her a box of food and made her feel happy while in the hospital. That is how the carnal human mind works. The most faithful, Bible-preaching, soul-winning, genuine people-loving, God-fearing, churches today are small congregations in attendance, but great in God's Holy Spirit power. And contrawise, America's large and mega-churches are graveyards of bloating spiritually-dead corpses, a wasteland of bigshots like Diotrephes (the rich) who love to control the church and their hen-pecked pastorette with his sermonettes. Tragically, God's power has been replaced with religious machinery. I'm definitely including independent Baptist churches here too. The biggest churches run the least buses and have the fewest ministries.
There is nothing in The Great Commission about gathering around the Word for men's Bible study. The four elements of The Great Commission are to: 1) GO; 2) PREACH THE GOSPEL; 3) WATER BAPTIZE NEW CONVERTS; and 4) TEACH THEM TO GO DO LIKEWISE (i.e., perpetuating the Gospel). This is God's plan (Matthew 28:19-20). The best way to teach and train is while DOING IT!!! Bible colleges are producing misfits who know a lot of facts about the Bible, but don't know how to start and operate a Bus Ministry. The have head smarts, but don't know how to pound a nail with a hammer, literally. We need a revival of what we teach our youth in Bible colleges these days. As a rule, the students cannot rise above the spirituality and zeal for serving God as the college administrators. THAT'S SCARY HUH? What are you doing to make a difference for God??? We need warriors on the Christian battlefield, marching on as to war!!!
Onward Christian soldier!!!
Marching as to war!!!
With the cross of Jesus, going on before!!!
How many Bible colleges do you know of, who
recruit warriors to fight in God's army? Instead, today's Bible colleges are
fun centers who are recruiting musicians, artists, scientists and teachers,
to prepare for a career in the religious world, while the world goes to Hell
without ever hearing the preaching of the Gospel. What apostasy! All of the
young women wear sexy clothing in today's Bible universities and churches,
shaming the Lord who made and bought them with His own blood..
Man's Tradition Versus the Inspired Word of God
Just as the foolish woman, over one billion professed Catholics are following men instead of God. This is a great sin, as we read in Mark 7:13...
"Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition..."
Catholics often try to justify their fabricated traditions by drawing attention to traditions mentioned in the Bible. One such Scripture is 2nd Thessalonians 2:15, "Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle."
However, the Bible also states in Colossians 2:8, "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." Clearly, there are good and bad traditions. One must keep in mind at the time Paul spoke these words that the Word of God was not yet completed. The Bible was not completed until around A.D. 95 when the Book of Revelation was finished.
So before the Bible was completed, believers relied upon the spoken words of the Apostles who had been taught by our Lord, and the Words which God had put into their hearts, and of course, the Old Testament. Once the Word of God was completed, there was NO need for any more traditions.
Hebrews 1:2 is clear that God speaks to us today through the Son (the Word
of God, John 1:1 and Revelation 19:13), and the Holy Spirit of God (John
16:13; 1st John 2:27). God doesn't speak today through Popes,
visions, apparitions, dreams, or omens. God speaks through His Word,
and the spiritual voice of the Holy Spirit. God's Spirit and the Word
of God are inseparable.
Conclusion of the Matter
The Rosary and praying in vain repetition are totally opposed and contradictory to the Word of God. There is absolutely nothing in the Bible concerning the many heresies which the Catholic Church teaches. You won't find the Immaculate Heart of Mary, or the Immaculate Conception of Mary, or the Assumption of Mary anywhere in the Word of God. These are lies of Catholicism, designed to brainwash you into worshipping Mary instead of God.
Should it be surprising that the Vatican removed the 2nd commandment from their official Catechism... "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them." They split the tenth command into two parts to compensate for the missing second. Exodus 20:4,5 throws a monkey wrench into bowing down to all of Catholicism's horde of statues and graven images. What a bunch of deceivers!
