CAN YOU DEFEND YOUR FAITH?

The sad truth is most Christians can't even defend their faith because they themselves are ignorant of God's word.

Don't let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. -- Colossians 2:8
"My people are being destroyed for lack of knowledge..." Hosea 4:6

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Monday, August 15, 2011

THE VIRGIN MARY TALE

The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the QUEEN OF HEAVEN...that they may provoke me to anger” —Jeremiah 7:18

I am surprised that some people still justify that Jesus is the only child of Mary after I have pointed out (see The Stolen Identity of Jesus, January Blog ) that Jesus had other siblings, the half-brothers are James, Joseph, Judas and Simon plus 2 or more sisters (rendered as plural so we are safe to say there are more than one and can be More than two). In fact the mentioned children are her only legitimate children because if we follow the event,  Jesus is pre-existing even before the heaven and earth begun....
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
   Mary was only used as a vessel to carry the incarnated body of Our Lord in Human form. To give blessed Mary the title Mother of God is therefore an outright contempt against God. Mary is a created being just like you and me and just like any angelic beings who are also created by God. How can a created being become a mother of the Creator? She must be therefore a Goddess, and a goddess have to be virgin. I don't know what's wrong if Mary had other children aside from Jesus. It doesn't change a thing. She is still highly favored among women.
   The ulterior motives was clearly evident if you know the goddess Diana whom the Roman worship, or the goddess Isis of Ancient Babylon. The fabrication made by Catholics is to re-package Mary as a mother of god which made her equal to God. The Bible is clear to state that Yeshua or Yahshua originated directly from the Father.


John 1:18
"The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."
   Coming from the bosom will mean here that He is not created but "given birth to..." by God The Father. We must realized here that God doesn't have to follow human nature neither be subjected to physical limitations, so He doesn't need another spiritual-being to create. That is why Jesus can declare the statement below:


John 16:28
"I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world."


THE INSTANCE OF MARY 
   There was a very telling instance that shows Jesus is NOT the only child of Mary and Joseph, we can find that in Luke Chapter 2:41-52
41Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.
 42And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.
 43And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it.
 44But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.
 45And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.
 46And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.
 47And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.
 48And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.
 49And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?
 50And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.
 51And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.
 52And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man
  
   Now my question, what kind of a mother would forget her son? I mean, an only son? 
   It is said Jesus is 12 years old when it happened. Almost a teenager but still young to be left out. This scenario simply shows that Mary was perhaps occupied with other younger boys and girls, so it is forgiveable for her to forget a young man Jesus. But she is not irresponsible as a mother because did you read how she reacted and maybe crying and hurt at that moment to Jesus and to paraphase  "What have you done...we are worried about you".
   Now if Mary had only Jesus to take care about during that travel, do you think she would neglect him and be left behind?
   We know Mary was virgin when she concieved Jesus to fulfill certain prophesy but she did not retain that quality because she and her husband Joseph continue to be married and have children. So why would the false religion want to retain or put special emphasis to her "virginity"?
QUEEN OF HEAVEN
    The Roman religion worship "goddess of heaven" long before they capture Jerusalem, probably their own version of Isis from Egyptian cult they also had Diana who is also associated with the moon...The worship to goddess of heaven had been around since antiquity. Also known as Queen of Heaven, the title given to a number of  ancient Medditeranean and Near East goddesses such as Astarte, Innana, Anat, Isis and the Hebrew even had Asherah (mentioned in the book of Jeremiah) long before Jesus came. The adoptation made by some who claim to be Christians attached the title to Mary as Queen of Heaven also.
    Worship of a "Queen of Heaven", in Hebrew Malkath haShamayim (מלכת השמים) is recorded in the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah, circa 628 BC, in the context of the Prophet condemning such religious worship as blasphemy and a violation of the teachings of the God of Israel.
   The first century Christians never venerated Mary with such title and if we examined the New Testament, there was no more mention of Mary after the Gospel having special honor the way Catholic do.
IDOLS
   I think the real Mary's is greatly hurt seeing the people being led to deception to worship her image. Human should not be worship and the apostle knew these solid fact, they never demanded to be worship but instead take extra caution to avoid the mistake. The illustrations can be found in Acts chapter 14. People have the tendencies to worship and idolized his fellowmen. This happen to Paul and Barnabas when they cured a lame man in Lystra....the Lycoanian quickly associates them into their known gods... "And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker." (v.12) When the two saw that the people are already doing rituals in honor for them, they move quickly to correct the errors...


"Friends, why are you doing this? We are merely human beings--just like you! We have come to bring you the Good News that you should turn from these worthless things and turn to the living God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them." (verse 15)


   It's not wrong to recognized and honor saints, their lives are inspirations to us But to make them as gods is hurting God who said...
“You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God” (Exodus 20:4-5)

   Jesus also emphatically said "I am the way, the truth, and the life..."


 "I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images." —Isaiah 42:8

   Notice the Halo around Mary (especially her head). Ancient depiction of deity  always portray them with halo or the sun-disc in honor of the sun. The idolatrous practice of the Catholics which symbolizes deity (that she is equal with God).The Babylonians practiced the same idolatrous worship to the Queen of Heaven. Mary is NOT deity, she was a normal every-day woman. Yes friend, Satan is definitely working in the Vatican and in Catholic organizations all across the world. Though most Catholics will deny worshipping Mary, the evidence says something very different! They bow down and literally pray in the name of "Mother Mary" to a graven statue of Mary. This is sinful idolatry! They are lying through their teeth. God makes CLEAR in His Word that He will NOT share His glory with another (that includes Mary).
"Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them..." —Exodus 20:5
God has commanded us in Exodus 20:5 NOT TO BOW DOWN to her. Even if your not worshiping Mary, you ARE SINNING if you bow down to her because the Bible strictly forbids it! 
"Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." -Mark 7:7