Today's Gospel Readings in the Catholic Church

By Ah-dong, Spain

Editor's Notation: Many Catholics believe that members of the clergy are appointed directly by God. They think that by submitting to their priests, they are, in issue, submitting to God. Ah-dong had also espoused this belief, but after a flow of investigation and seeking he came to understand the principles guiding how God uses and appoints people. After he had reached this new agreement, his onetime views on the affair changed and he welcomed the Lord's return. Want to know how he became reunited with the Lord? Read on to learn more than about Ah-dong'south experience.

I was raised in a Cosmic family and at an early age I heard our priest say: "The Lord Jesus spoke to Peter saying: 'That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against information technology. And I volition give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt demark upon earth, information technology shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever 1000 shalt loose upon earth, it shall exist loosed also in heaven' (Matthew sixteen:18–nineteen). After the Lord Jesus rose from the expressionless, He conferred special authority to Peter. In that location is a very of import section of the Catechism, which says that the Cosmic Church building is the one, holy, cosmic and apostolic church. When Peter died, he conferred his special say-so to the priests, bishops and the pope. These members of the clergy stay unmarried their unabridged lives and their foreheads are anointed with holy oil. As such, they are qualified to inherit the dominance and power to forgive sin, which was conferred upon Peter past God. The church has granted the states these powers, and then nosotros must administer on behalf of God…." Subsequently hearing this, I ever believed that the priests are those used by God, and that nosotros must heed to their teachings and guidance and confess to them when we sin in society to exist forgiven. We also had to give our nutrient to the priest to exist consecrated. (Things that were consecrated past the priest were considered holy.) This was all common cognition that every parishioner should know and respect. When I was piffling, no thing where I was, if I saw a priest I would immediately kneel on the ground to receive his blessing, thinking that by doing then God would protect me. I and other parishioners never dared to ask the priests and bishops questions and certainly would never uncertainty that their teachings were in line with God's volition. No affair whether what they said was correct or incorrect, we should submit to them without judgment or critique. To do otherwise would be to resist the Lord Jesus.

(Source: Fotolia)

Later, subsequently moving to Spain, because I was oftentimes too decorated with work, I drifted further and further from God, prayed to God less and less and rarely attended Mass. Sometimes, when I returned to Communist china, I would hear my mom talking most how the priests had given strict orders non to come up into contact with members of The Church of Almighty God and had even made many remarks condemning Eastern Lightning. Hearing how the priests had condemned them, and observing my parents exaggerated expressions, I put up my guard against Eastern Lightning.

In March of 2018, I met and began spending time with my time to come wife in Spain. She was also a Catholic, so we would oft have conversations nigh our religion. One time, while chatting with my wife about the priests, she mentioned that nowadays most priests don't exalt and testify to God and teach us according to God's discussion, but rather spend Mass glorifying themselves, boasting about how many countries they accept been to, how many dioceses they preached in, and how successful they had been in multiplying church membership. They bragged that the church had to rely on their leadership in lodge to flourish. Hearing this, church members all very much looked up to and venerated the priests and whenever they encountered any problems they would consult with them. Rarely would church members actively seek God's intention. Some priests would encourage parishioners to donate, preaching that the more ane donated to the church, the greater would be God'southward approving. Some priests only seemed to intendance virtually money. When church members invited a certain priest to preach in their church and gave him thousands upon thousands of dollars for services, the priest would, unbelievably, straight pocket all the coin without a second thought. Every bit for those members of the church who donated relatively little, the priests would barely give them the time of twenty-four hour period and adopted a cold, indifferent mental attitude toward them. I was amazed to hear all of this. I thought to myself, "Aren't all priests very devout and full of love for all people? How could these people that I accept and so much respect and admiration for deed like this?" I didn't dare believe that this was all true. However, later, I as well heard that the CCP was planning on revamping the Catholic Church with "Chinese characteristics," and that the pope had already accepted the CCP'south newly appointed clergy. Some of the more devout members of the church said, "Isn't that like compromising with Satan?" Thinking of how the priests had done so much that didn't accord with God's will, I began to question: Were the priests and the pope really chosen and appointed by God?

1 day, my wife excitedly said to me: "Ah-dong, these days I've been watching The Church of Almighty God'due south videos and movies and I've learned that the Lord Jesus, for whom we've waited so long, has finally returned as Omnipotent God, the Christ of the last days. Almighty God has issued the truth and performed the work of judgment starting from the firm of God, showing u.s.a. the way of cleansing and entry into the kingdom of sky. Almighty God's give-and-take has authority and power—I feel it is God'due south voice, information technology is God calling out and speaking to united states! Why don't you try reading Almighty God'south discussion?" Upon hearing this news, I was a fiddling surprised. I thought to myself, "This is unbelievable—has God actually returned? What has God been saying? Could the words that God has issued resolve my confusion?" I wanted to go to the lesser of this affair, but I likewise remembered how the priests had condemned Eastern Lightning and was immediately resistant and thought against investigating. Thus, I made a silent prayer, saying, "Dear God, my wife says You lot have returned, but I'one thousand not sure if You take come again as Almighty God and I dare not lightly accept Almighty God. Dear Lord, I pray that you may enlighten me and guide me onto the correct path, then that I do not lose my fashion."

During that flow, I was indecisive, "Should I investigate or not? If Omnipotent God really is the return of the Lord and I don't have, won't I have missed out on God's saving grace and be regretful for the rest of my life?" I idea long and hard and somewhen decided to make my investigation online. In this way, I wouldn't come in directly contact with people from The Church of Almighty God and thus wouldn't risk whatever danger or impairment. Having made up my mind, I opened up my browser and found their website "Gospel of the Descent of the Kingdom." In the book, The Word Appears in the Flesh, I saw the following two passages: "Since the time when Almighty God—the Male monarch of the kingdom—has been witnessed, the scope of God's management has unfolded in its entirety throughout the whole universe. Non only has God'due south advent been witnessed in Red china, but the proper noun of Omnipotent God has been witnessed in all nations and all places" "Some people fright, some harbor guilty consciences, some are warning, some take care to listen intently, some apologize and start afresh, feeling the utmost remorse, some weep bitterly in hurting, some relinquish everything and search desperately, some people examine themselves and do not dare human action wildly whatsoever longer, some seek urgently to get close to God, some examine their ain consciences, asking why their lives cannot progress. Some remain in a muddle, some unshackle their feet and advance courageously, grasping the key and losing no time in attention to their lives. Some nonetheless hesitate and are unclear about visions—the burden they bear and carry in their hearts is heavy indeed" ("Affiliate eight" of Utterances of Christ in the Beginning in The Word Appears in the Flesh). These words perfectly characterized all our attitudes toward God's advent and work in the terminal days equally well equally my own concerns and considerations. I thought of how when my wife told me that God had returned as Omnipotent God the Christ of the final days and invited me to investigate The Church of Omnipotent God with her, I had hesitated and didn't dare investigate because I believed the priests' condemnation of Eastern Lightning. My married woman, by dissimilarity, hadn't been restrained by the priests and had actively sought Almighty God's words and piece of work. Were my wife and I not perfect examples of the 2 kinds of people described in the phrases, "Some people fear" and "some relinquish everything and search desperately"? This passage touched my heart—simply God examines our hearts and minds and can cut to the essence of our thoughts and feelings. In that moment, I felt that these words were God's words, that they possessed power and authority and no human would have been capable of uttering them. As such, I decided to begin formally investigating Almighty God's piece of work in the last days and fellowship and discuss with the brothers and sisters of The Church building of Almighty God.

Through fellowshiping Omnipotent God'due south give-and-take with my brothers and sisters, I came to understand that the primal to seeking and investigating the true way was to do so according to God's word—just the wise virgins placed special importance on listening for God's voice. I also learned the meaning of God'southward incarnation, the profound mystery of God'due south name, and how to distinguish between the true and fake Christ. These were truths that I never understood in my years as a Catholic. I had also never heard whatever of the priests or nuns discuss these truths. Information technology was all and then fresh and illuminating! The brothers' and sisters' fellowships all accorded with reason, were in keeping with the Bible and left me thoroughly convinced. I no longer kept my guard upward around them. From then on, I and my wife would regularly attend meetings and fellowship with brothers and sisters from The Church of Almighty God.

At the end of one coming together, a question of a sudden sprung into my heed and so I asked a sister, "We Catholics believe that the priests, bishops and the pope are all those who are used past God, and no matter whether what they say is right or wrong we should submit to them. Submitting to them is just the same equally submitting to God. Is this agreement in keeping with God's will?"

The sister excitedly replied, "Blood brother, you've brought upwardly a very important question. This question relates straight to whether in our belief in God we should follow God or follow people. We believe that based on what God says to Peter in the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter xvi Verses xviii–19, Peter is the one that God uses and that the priests, bishops and the pope are Peter'south inheritors and also those that God uses. As such, nosotros treat these members of the clergy in the same way that we treat God—listening to their every give-and-take, obeying their every order, and worshiping and post-obit them. Is this an apt interpretation? We transferred God's commission to Peter into the easily of the church leaders, believing that they were Peter'due south inheritors and those that God uses. Does this belief accept any basis in the Bible, does God's word back it up? If not, and then do our beliefs non stem from the notions and imagination of mere people? Possibly we should settle downwards for a moment and reverberate: In the Historic period of Law, God chose and appointed Moses, but does this and so hateful that all of the leaders of the Jewish faith were chosen and appointed by God? In the Age of Grace, the Lord Jesus personally chose and appointed the twelve apostles, but does this then mean that all of the priests, bishops and popes of the Historic period of Grace were personally called and appointed by God? When we lack the truth, it's easy to misfile various ideas and defer to regulations, merely, in so doing, information technology becomes very like shooting fish in a barrel to believe in God while blindly worshiping and following mere people. Then exactly what kind of people are qualified to be chosen those that God uses? Omnipotent God says, 'The work carried out by the one who is used by God is in order to cooperate with the work of Christ or the Holy Spirit. This man is raised up amongst man by God, he is there to lead all of God's chosen ones, and he is besides raised up past God in order to do the work of human cooperation. With someone such as this, who is able to do the work of human cooperation, more of God's requirements toward human and the work that the Holy Spirit must practise among human tin can be achieved through him. Another way of putting it is like this: God's aim in using this man is so that all those who follow God can better sympathize God's volition, and tin attain more of God's requirements. Because people are incapable of directly agreement God's words or God's will, God has raised someone upwardly who is used to carry out such work. This person who is used by God can also be described as a medium through which God guides people, every bit the "translator" who communicates between God and man. … In terms of the substance of his work and the background of his apply, the human who is used by God is raised upward by Him, he is prepared by God for God's piece of work, and he cooperates in the work of God Himself. No person could e'er do his work in his stead—this is human cooperation that is indispensable alongside the divine work. … The man who is used by God, on the other hand, is someone who has been prepared by God, and who possesses a certain quotient, and has humanity. He has been prepared and made perfect in advance by the Holy Spirit, and is completely led by the Holy Spirit, and, particularly when it comes to his work, he is directed and commanded by the Holy Spirit—as a result of this in that location is no deviation on the path of leading God's chosen ones, for God surely takes responsibility for His own work, and God does His own work at all times' ('Apropos God's Use of Man' in The Discussion Appears in the Mankind).

"From Omnipotent God'south give-and-take it is articulate that God will enhance upward directly in every historic period and personally engage a grouping of people to assist in God'south work. These are people that God prepares in advance, so that His work can exist even more effective. All those who are personally appointed and used by God have His word every bit backing. Just as, in the Historic period of Constabulary, when God appointed Moses to lead the Israelis, He personally spoke unto Moses: 'I will be with thee: and this thou shalt have for a sign, that I have sent thee: When thou shalt have brought my people out of Egypt, yard shalt offer cede to God upon this mountain' (Exodus 3:12). In the Age of Grace, when the Lord Jesus appointed Peter to shepherd the church, Peter besides had God's word as testament. Jesus three times entrusted Peter with the task of shepherding God's flock and even said He was giving the keys to the kingdom of heaven to Peter. Thus, we tin can say confidently that those that are used by God have God's personal testimony and word every bit testament.

"What'southward more, the piece of work of those who God appoints and uses is to assist in God's piece of work and is all confirmed by the work of the Holy Spirit. The work and sermons of such people exalt and bear testimony to God in every aspect, permit God's followers to attain the supply of life, exist truly shepherded, enter into God'south word, gain knowledge of the truth and accomplish growth in life. These works and sermons also allow people to build e'er stronger relationships with God and to proceeds an ever deeper agreement of Him. Because God is righteous and holy, those that God appoints and uses certainly accord with God's volition. He would never use people that despise the truth, get about self-aggrandizing and have God as their enemy to practice the work of the church. Now if nosotros evaluate the priests, bishops and the pope based on the principles by which God uses people and the effect achieved by the piece of work of those that God uses, does it appear that they've been personally appointed by God? Do they have God's discussion as testament? Do their sermons and work resolve our practical questions and problems and let us to understand God'south intentions and gain ever greater knowledge of God? We've all personally experienced that they are incapable of these things, that they don't accept God's personal testimony and lack the work of the Holy Spirit as confirmation. So how could they peradventure be one of those that God uses?"

Later on listening to the sister's fellowship, I gave some serious thought to the issue and finally said, "Then those that God personally appoints must have God's discussion and the work of the Holy Spirit as confirmation. Past accepting the watering and guidance of those that God uses, we can attain spiritual satisfaction, proceeds a meliorate understanding of God's give-and-take, and grow in knowledge of God. Equally for the priests and other current members of the clergy, God has never said that they are among those used by God or that they are Peter'south inheritors. These members of the clergy oft brag about how they can endure swell pains and brand sacrifices, but they are not exalting and bearing testimony to God. Not but do they not practice God's word, they also never guide usa in practicing and experiencing God'due south discussion. As a consequence, we equally believers are utterly insufficient of spiritual supply and suffer great thirst. Even more maddening is how some priests seem to despise the poor and curry favor with the rich—they don't treat all believers equally. From this information technology is articulate that the priests and other members of the clergy merely don't have the work of the Holy Spirit, much less the Holy Spirit's confirmation—they just are non among those used past God. Alas, due to the priests' false interpretations of the Bible, I had always thought that the priests and other clergy members were all appointed by God and that submitting to them was the same as submitting to God. As such, I treated them equally I would care for God Himself. Looking back now I can see how incredibly absurd and preposterous this was. Cheers exist to Almighty God for resolving my confusion."

Sister connected, saying, "Given that the priests, bishops, the pope and other members of the clergy don't have God's word as testament and it is non apparent that they have the work and guidance of the Holy Spirit, and then what is the nature of their work? Where did these titles come from? Let'south have a expect at this sermon: 'The leaders and pastors of the religious world have non experienced the work of God or been fabricated perfect and built up by the Holy Spirit, but have instead go leaders and pastors in the religious community after graduating from a seminary and beingness given a diploma. They are without the work and confirmation of the Holy Spirit, they have not the slightest true knowledge of God, and their mouths tin speak of nothing merely theological knowledge and theories. They have non actually experienced anything. Such people are totally unqualified to be used by God; how could they lead human being before God? They hold up graduation from seminary as proof of their own entitlement, they do everything they can to flaunt their noesis of the Bible, they are insufferably big-headed—and because of this, they are condemned past God, and loathed by God, and have lost the work of the Holy Spirit. Of this there is no doubt' ('Results That Tin Be Achieved Through a 18-carat Agreement of the Truth' in Sermons and Fellowship From the To a higher place (Selections)).

"From this nosotros tin see that the members of the clergy were either trained in seminary or promoted and ordained by high-ranking members of the church building. Every bit long as they have a sure level of education, a recommendation from the church building and the consent of an ordinary, they can attend seminary, receive a diploma after half dozen to viii years, and then apply to the bishop to be ordained as a deacon or priest. By no means have they been used by God after experiencing the piece of work of the Holy Spirit, practicing God's word, and being fabricated perfect. Equally a issue, the priests and other clergy members merely speak of theological theory and biblical knowledge in their sermons. Believers never hear they talk most their experiences in practicing God's give-and-take or their practical understanding of God's word and so they are not supplied with life. As such, we cannot put priests on the aforementioned level as God Himself, submitting to their every word and decree, and worshiping and following them. To do and then would be blasphemous to God. Additionally, we must exist discerning when nosotros listen to the priests speak. If what the priests say is in keeping with God'due south discussion, and then we may accept and submit, but if it goes against God's word and so we should pay no heed. Rather, we should pray more to God and seek God'southward requirements in His words—only in then doing exercise we accord with God'due south volition. If we are not discerning when listening to the priests and don't weigh what they say in the context of God's words, but rather persist in blindly following, then nosotros are worshiping and following mere people, instead of putting our faith in and worshiping God. In then doing, we very well may follow the members of the clergy in interim in resistance to God and volition meet with His curses and condemnation. This is but similar how the Jews forsook the Lord Jesus' salvation subsequently listening to the lies and false theories of the Pharisees and even followed along with the Jewish leadership in nailing the Lord Jesus to the cross. This ultimately angered God's disposition and caused Him to curse the Jews, leading to their ii-thousand-year subjugation, forced exile and diaspora. Is this not just the result of their failing to practice discernment and blind following of the Pharisees? Thus, we ought to larn from the failures of the Jews and not follow them down that same fateful road."

I nodded, proverb, "When y'all put it that style, it makes even more than sense. Indeed, the bulk of the priests graduated from seminary and received their diplomas, and the bishops and the pope attained their positions by vote—they certainly weren't confirmed by the Holy Spirit. Now, I understand how I ought to remember of these clergy members. In the future, I should evaluate whether what they say is in keeping with God's word—in this way I tin can avoid following them in resisting God. Reflecting on this issue now, I see that the priests, bishops and the pope obviously are not amongst those used by God, and still they wantonly preach of how they have the authority invested in Peter past God to make believers worship and adore them. How shameless and malicious they are!"

Sister nodded her head and said, "Yes, these clergy members make ridiculous interpretations of God'due south word based upon their own notions and imagination and then inculcate believers with their heresies and false theories. This is a very serious offense! Permit'south encounter how Almighty God's word explains this, Almighty God says, 'Look at the leaders of each denomination—they are all arrogant and self-righteous, and their interpretations of the Bible lack context and are guided by their own imaginings. They all rely on gifts and erudition to do their work. If they could not preach at all, would people follow them? They exercise, subsequently all, possess some knowledge and tin preach on some doctrine, or they know how to win others over and brand use of some artifice. They use these to bring people earlier themselves and deceive them. Nominally, those people believe in God, merely in reality, they follow their leaders. When they encounter someone preaching the true way, some of them say, "Nosotros take to consult our leader virtually our organized religion." A human is the medium of their faith in God; is that not a problem? What have those leaders become, then? Accept they not go Pharisees, false shepherds, antichrists, and stumbling blocks to people's acceptance of the true style?' ("Only to Pursue the Truth Is Truly to Believe in God" in Records of Christ's Talks).

"From the revelation of God's words, we can see that these clergy members make false interpretations, accept God's give-and-take out of context and, in order to make believers treat them every bit they would care for God, they constantly preach about how they are among those that God uses and that submitting to them is the same every bit submitting to God. These clergy members are likewise ever self-aggrandizing and building up their own reputations. They only speak of profound biblical noesis and theological doctrines or of how much pain they've endured and how much piece of work they've done. They do this to ensnare people's hearts, make them worship and await up to them, obey their every command and come up to them whenever they meet the slightest difficulty. They are brazenly vying with God over believers! Even more beastly, is how these priests, bishops and other clergy members despise the truth—when they hear the good news of the Lord Jesus' return and run into how the words that Almighty God has issued take authorisation and power, not only do they not seek and investigate, but even despise Almighty God because so many believers have accepted Almighty God's work. To continue believers firmly inside their grasp, and to secure their own status and income, these priests do everything in their power to spread lies well-nigh, slander and condemn Almighty God's work in the last days. They prevent believers from seeking and investigating the true way and, as a consequence, even when believers hear the good news of the Lord Jesus' return, they don't cartel seek and investigate. Some believers even follow forth with their priests in resisting and condemning God's return. From these facts information technology is abundantly clear that the members of the clergy do not rejoice in the truth and are not true servants of God. They are no different from the Pharisees who resisted and condemned the Lord Jesus before. They all forbid believers from accepting the truthful manner and are evil servants who vie for God'due south chosen people with God Himself! They are the roadblocks and stumbling blocks which hinder believers from walking the path to the kingdom of heaven. They are God-resisting, God-betraying antichrists! Because the priests, bishops and other clergy members accept over again nailed God to the cross, they are among those doomed to be cursed by God!"

Hearing this, I nodded my head in agreement, saying, "Only today has it become clear to me that these members of the clergy don't actually worship God and seek the truth. Rather they are insufferably arrogant, truth-antisocial false shepherds. Thinking back to how some priests would fifty-fifty self-aggrandize and boast before the unabridged congregation, proverb 'I am God's agent and the church building must rely on my guidance' 'I've traveled to so many countries,' how in sermons during Mass, they acted as if what the Lord Jesus had said to Peter extended to them too, claiming that they were inheritors of the authority granted to Peter by God—I at present realize that they were doing all this to secure their own status and income. What's more than, from an early age, we Catholics are fabricated to written report the Catechism, which is written by the clergy. We rarely read the word of God in the Bible. I don't take the slightest idea of how to believe in God, how to heed to God's word and I fifty-fifty wrongly believed that past listening to the priests' word, I was assertive in and submitting to God. Through following the priests' every command, I had unwittingly allowed the clergy members to take the place of God in my heart. Is this non just following God in advent while following people in substance? Who knows how many people didn't dare seek and investigate God's render because they had believed the words of the priests? I, too, well-nigh missed out on God's salvation in the terminal days for the aforementioned reason. These clergy members are truly false shepherds and evil servants! I must duly investigate God'southward work in the last days and must never again believe their falsehoods and lies—I mustn't be deceived by them anymore."

Observing that I had gained some discernment with regard to the clergy's essence, the brothers and sisters all gave thanks to God for His enlightenment and guidance.

Through fellowshiping Almighty God's word with my brothers and sisters, I gained discernment with regard to the beguiling notion that "priests, bishops and the pope are appointed by God." After, later a period of study of Omnipotent God's words, I became certain that Almighty God is the returned Lord Jesus. I give thanks God for non forsaking me, allowing me to have the good fortune to personally read the words issued by God in the terminal days and go on pace with the footsteps of the Lamb. Thanks be to God for His salvation!

biddlecombethonse.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.holyspiritspeaks.org/gospel/catholic-readings-and-reflections/

Share this post