"But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking." -Matthew 6:7
"But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." -Matthew 15:9
Isn't it interesting that the only
two mentions of the word "vain" in Matthew perfectly describe the Roman
Catholic religion. The Catholics love their vain repetitive prayers
and chants, and they surely teach the commandments of men, vainly
worshipping God. "Vain" here simply means that the Catholics are
wasting their time because God is NOT accepting their false worship.
Just as Cain, Catholics commit the same fatal sin of not obeying the
commandments of God. John 4:24 clearly teaches that if any person is
to worship God, it MUST be done in spirit and truth. The Catholic
Church is NO church at all because they teach manmade doctrines. A
perfect example is the Assumption
of Mary doctrine officially establish by the Vatican in 1959.
There is no such Biblical teaching, nor is it even found in the Catholic's
magisterium (church traditions).
I recently watched a Catholic program on EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network). The entire show was all about praising Mary. A few words were spoken, and then they all started chanting. The priest would make a statement praising Mary and then dozens of Catholics in robes would follow with "we pray to thee." It was a cult ceremony, surely not resemblance of anything which Jesus taught.
Mary, Queen of Heaven...
we pray to thee
Mary, Queen of all saints...
we pray to thee
Mary, Queen of angels...
we pray to thee
Mary, Queen of the Rosary...
we pray to thee
Mary, Queen of the Church...
we pray to thee
and so on...it lasted for about 5 minutes
How arrogant and blasphemous against God Almighty! Everything about Roman Catholicism is contrary to the plain teachings of the Word of God. Nowhere in Scriptures are we directed in any way to praise, hail or show ANY devotion whatsoever to Mary (or any other dirty, rotten sinner like Mary). Yes, Mary was a sinner. She was not without "original sin" as Catholicism claims. The Catholic religion is so rebellious against the Bible that they even teach that Mary was a "perpetual virgin." Mark 6:3 tells us that Jesus had brothers and sisters, so Mary was NO virgin after she married Joseph. Joseph was Mary's husband. In Matthew 1:20, the Angel of the Lord comforted Joseph concerning his "wife" to be, "...fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost." Mary did NOT remain a virgin! So stop calling her a "virgin."
Roman Catholicism leads people to pray lifeless and empty vain repetitions! The Bible speaks about making merry melody in our hearts to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19), not the dead and morbid chants of the Catholic religion. God wants us to pray and sing from our hearts. Roman Catholics are duped by the extravagance, formalism and mystic of the Catholic religion. If the Pope is speaking in Latin, he must really know his stuff...right? Folks, it's all a big show to sucker you and your money into the Catholic cult. The priests drink their wine from golden cups. Candles are placed into golden candlesticks. Gold, and more gold. The Vatican spares no expense. The Vatican is impeccably designed and decked out with wealth and beauty. Yet, they are as beautiful graves filled with dead men's bones just as Jesus said...
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness." -Matthew 23:27
God hates vain repetitions! God hates prayers that are dictated from a paper or a book. Prayer should be spontaneous, from the heart, not a recital from a prayer book. Do you think God would rather have us fellowship with him as a friend, or try to impress Him with fancy words and religious formalism? Do you really think that chants move God? Do you really think that a bunch of repetitious words pleases God? It doesn't, not one bit. God hates false prayers, false worship, and false religion. Two things are REQUIRED to pray to God: spirit and truth. You cannot worship God in heresy or false religion. This is why Catholics will NEVER be able to worship the True and Living God, because they teach traditions instead of the commands of God. One must be born again to worship God, for God is a Spirit, and our carnal flesh cannot commune with God.
No amount of religion or self-righteous ness can forgive your sins or save you from hell. The Pope is just a dirty rotten sinner who had better fall on his knees before Jesus Christ, asking for forgiveness, or he'll rot in the lake of fire. The pope is presently headed for hell-fire. Why? Because the Pope is trusting upon the Catholic Church to save him and not Christ alone. Listen friend, you cannot get to heaven by getting baptized. If this were the case, then what about all the people in the Old Testament? What about the thief on the cross? The Apostle Paul clearly said that Christ did NOT send him to baptize, but to preach the gospel (1st Corinthians 1:17). Baptism is a step of obedience for the new convert, NOT a requirement for salvation. You MUST NOT add anything to simple faith in Christ alone. Good works is a sure road to hell. Church membership is a sure road to hell. Religion is a sure road to hell. The sacraments are a sure road to hell. The rosary is a sure road to hell. Our Lady of Fatima is a sure road to hell.
"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
ONLY through the precious blood of Jesus Christ can our sins be washed away. ONLY by believing upon Jesus Christ enough to 100% rely upon Him to forgive and save us can we be saved. It's like standing on a ladder. No matter how much I may claim to have faith in the ladder, it's not faith if I hold onto anything. But if I step onto the ladder, no matter how uncertain I may be, it is no less than 100% faith if I trust the ladder alone (apart from all else). Let go of the Catholic religion friend and grab Jesus with everything you have. It doesn't matter how little your faith may be, any amount of faith is enough faith to be saved, just so long as you put every bit of your faith in Jesus Christ alone. Let go of the Catholic religion friend and grab Jesus with everything you have.
Jesus + Anything = Hell
Jesus Alone = Salvation
Won't you trust Jesus now as your own personal Savior.
