Friday, August 27, 2010

*BEST OF DTB #18* Show Supplemental- The types of Mary.

This blog post is meant to be read in conjunction with this show.

The Types of Mary.

THE WOMAN

Genesis 3:15 I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel. (Douay Rheems)

In the first Messianic prophecy in Scripture, we are told that enmity will be placed between The Woman and the Serpent and between the Woman's offspring and the Serpent's offspring.

Protestants are scandalized by the Douay translation of this passage. All protestant and modern translations translate the passage as "He" will crush your head while you strike at "His" heel but this is a forced interpretation not supported linguistically.

In fact, the most literal translation is ''it'', or ''the formerly stated'', since no gender is given.

In fact. most older versions did, in fact, translate it as ''it''.

Modern protestants have concluded that the prophecy must be referring specifically to Christ, as the ''seed'' of the Woman, crushing the Serpent's head. However, that interpretation is simply impossible to linguistically reconcile with the actual words of the passage.

First, it is exegetically indisputable that the passage clearly separates the two enmities;
  1. The Woman vs The Serpent
  2. The Woman's seed vs The Serpent's seed.

Further undermining the Protestant position is the fact that the Woman and the Serpent are both shown in the singular sense while the seed, in both instances, is plural. Finally, ''it'' or ''the formerly referenced'' is also singular.

In short, the two enmities are;
  1. "it" vs "it"
  2. "they" vs "they"

Therefore, Saint Jerome was right. The verse actually is saying, in so many words is

'I will make enemies of the Woman and You and enemies of her children and your children. This formerly mentioned woman will crush your head and you will lie in wait for her heel.'


Protestants go to great lengths to run from this correct translation but the Scriptures simply will not let them. The New Testament goes to great pains to identify Mary as the Woman.

We see this first at the wedding at Cana (John 2:4), where Jesus performs His first public miracle at Her bequest and again at the Cross (John 19:26), where Jesus gives her to us all as spiritual mother.

However, nowhere do we see it more clearly than in Revelation Chapter 12.

Starting with verse 1, Mary is described as a Woman clothed with the Sun. In verse 5, we are shown that She gives birth to the Messiah, who was snatched up to the throne of God.

In verse 13, we see the foretold enmity between the dragon and the Woman and, finally, in verse 17, we see the dragon's war waged against the rest of her offspring who are those who keep the commandments of God.

THE NEW EVE

Following closely on the theme of Genesis is the story of the fall of mankind. Now we know that the Serpent, Dragon...Satan is who brought sin and evil into the world. No one would dispute that. However, it is also undeniable that he could not have done so without the compliance of Adam and Eve.

Adam and Eve were given a very clear choice to obey God or disobey God. They chose poorly.

So, sin entered the world, first, through Eve, then through Adam.

Fast forwarding to the New Testament, what did Jesus most often call Himself? Answer- "The Son of Man". Literally, "The Son of Adam".

The type is striking. Sin entered the world through Adam and salvation entered through the Son of Adam... the NEW Adam.

Many Protestants see this but they don't take it to it's logical full conclusion.

Yes, Adam consented to disobey God but only after Eve's disobedience preceded his own. Do you follow?
  1. Eve was given the choice to be obedient- She failed.
  2. Adam was given the choice to be obedient- He failed.
  3. Sin entered the world, Satan's victory.

To fail to see the parallel is to miss a huge type.

Let's look at the Salvation story in reverse to highlight this.

  1. Salvation entered the world, God's victory.
  2. Jesus- the new Adam- was given the choice to be obedient- He succeeded.
  3. ?- the new Eve- was given the choice to be obedient?


You bet.

Whereas the Serpent made his offer to Eve, God makes His to Mary- the New Eve- through the Angel Gabriel.

Luke 1: [26] And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, [27] To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. [28] And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. [29] Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be. [30] And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God.

[31] Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus. [32] He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father; and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever. [33] And of his kingdom there shall be no end. [34] And Mary said to the angel: How shall this be done, because I know not man? [35] And the angel answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
[36] And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren: [37] Because no word shall be impossible with God. [38] And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

"be it done to me according to thy word".

Mary was given free will. Mary Suceeded. Mary was obedient and Her obedience brought us Christ and His obedience.

Sin entered the world through the disobedience of Eve. Salvation entered the world through the obedience of the New Eve- Mary.

If Mary does not consent, we are all doomed. She had the free will to say no...like every other person.

How could God ensure She would be perfectly disposed to say yes without violating Her free will? Grace.

The answer is found in the Angel's greeting to her.

The actual greeting as recorded by Luke was Chaire, Kecharitomene. Literally, Hail, you who are endured with perfected Grace. Jerome translated it Gracia, Plenia- Full of Grace.

It is important to note that Kecharitomene appears only once more in Scripture, in a passage referring to Jesus. The Angel's greeting to Mary proves the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception.

The Bible tells us that Adam's wife was called Eve because She became the Mother of all the living (Gen 3:20). This is in the physical sense. Mary, in John 19:26 and Revelation 12:17 is shown as the mother of all the living in the spiritual sense and, thus, The New Eve.


THE ARK OF THE COVENANT

Before we even got out of the first book of the Bible, we already see two prominent types of Mary. We only go to the next book before we see another.
The Ark of the Covenant was a key part of the Old Testament. A protestant on you tube once described it as a ''piece of furniture" in the Temple.

This "piece of furniture" is mentioned at least three dozen times in scripture by name

God gave very specific instructions about the building of this...um...piece of furniture.

Exodus 25:10 "You shall make an ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits long, one and a half cubits wide, and one and a half cubits high. 25:11 Plate it inside and outside with pure gold, and put a molding of gold around the top of it. 25:12 Cast four gold rings and fasten them on the four supports of the ark, two rings on one side and two on the opposite side. 25:13 Then make poles of acacia wood and plate them with gold. 25:14 These poles you are to put through the rings on the sides of the ark, for carrying it; 25:15 they must remain in the rings of the ark and never be withdrawn. 25:16 In the ark you are to put the commandments which I will give you. 25:17 * "You shall then make a propitiatory of pure gold, two cubits and a half long, and one and a half cubits wide. 25:18 * Make two cherubim of beaten gold for the two ends of the propitiatory, 25:19 fastening them so that one cherub springs direct from each end. 25:20 The cherubim shall have their wings spread out above, covering the propitiatory with them; they shall be turned toward each other, but with their faces looking toward the propitiatory. 25:21 This propitiatory you shall then place on top of the ark. In the ark itself you are to put the commandments which I will give you. 25:22 There I will meet you and there, from above the propitiatory, between the two cherubim on the ark of the commandments, I will tell you all the commands that I wish you to give the Israelites.

The Ark of the Covenant was not created for no reason. Like everything else in the Old Testament, it is there for a reason. It is intended to teach us something. It is intended to foreshadow something.

To understand what the Ark of the Old Covenant represented in foreshadowing the Ark of the New Covenant, we must understand what the Old Covenant, itself represented in foreshadowing the New Covenant.

As Jesus said, in Matthew 5:17, He did not come to abolish the Old Testament law but to fulfill it.

The Priests of the Old Testament foreshadow the Priesthood of the New Testament, with Christ, the Chief Priest as it's head. The Judges of the Old Testament foreshadow Christ, the perfect Judge. The Prophets of the Old Testament foreshadow Christ as the perfect Prophet. The Kings of the Old Testament foreshadow the King of Kings- Jesus. The blood Sacrifice of the Old Testament foreshadows the Salvation purchased through Christ's blood that was spilled for us at Calvary.

Many protestants understand this. The Old Testament Covenant and the New Testament Covenant, then, are both about Christ. The first by anticipation and the second by realization.

The New Covenant, then, is realized in the person of Christ.... and He tells us so.

Luke 22:20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you.

Why protestants don't follow this to it's logical end is a mystery to me.

An Ark is a vessel that carries something. Noah's Ark carried 8 people to safety during the great flood.

The Ark of the Covenant was a vessel that carried the Word of God, The Bread from Heaven and the Shepherd's staff that came back to life. Who could deny that these three things are all types of Christ?

So, in the Old Testament, the Ark of the Covenant carried that which symbolized Christ. So, if what was carried inside the Ark symbolized Christ, what was symbolized by the Ark itself?

Let me put it this way. If the Old Testament Ark of the Covenant was the Vessel that symbolically carried Christ, what was the vessel that actually carried Him?

Speak up now. You know the answer. The Ark of the Covenant points to Mary! She was the Holy, created vessel that was prepared for the purpose of carrying the Incarnate God to us.

In case we missed this point, Saint John makes it crystal clear in Revelation 11:19;

11:19 Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a violent hailstorm.

John does not describe the Ark of the Covenant as a "piece of furniture" but as "A Woman clothed with the Sun, with the Moon under her feet and a crown of 12 stars on Her head." He describes the Ark as the Woman that gave birth to the Messiah, fought the Dragon and became the Mother of all believers".

To deny that this is Mary is just futile.

Discovering this fact is a real breakthrough for Christians seeking to understand Mary and what the Catholic church has come to understand about her. When we truly examine what the Bible says about the Old Testament Ark of the Covenant, we see what that typology reveals about the New Testament Ark.

In every one of the characteristics of the Ark, we see a corresponding one to Mary.

We cannot possibly touch on all of these types, so we will just try to touch on some of the more prominent ones.

First, God doesn't do anything by accident. There is much he tells us by the way He commanded that the Ark be constructed. For starters, He commands that the body of the Ark is to be made of Acacia wood.

It is interesting what you find about Acacia wood. Let me quote from a source I found online;

Acacia wood has a long history of use. One variety, red acacia or Acacia seyal, is believed to have been used to build Egyptian coffins, the Ark of the Covenant, and Noah's Ark. Red acacia is native to northern and western Africa, where its wood is also burned as incense to treat joint pain and prevent fever.
Many varieties of acacia wood are both attractive and fragrant, making them ideal for luxury items and furnishings.
The first and most striking feature of Acacia wood is it's incorruptibility. If you think I am reaching on this point, think again. The actual Septuagint rendering of Exodus 25:10 is "incorruptible wood".

There is a prophecy that appears in two places in the Old Testament. First, in 2 Chronicles 6:41-42 and then, again in Psalm 132:8. It reads as follows;

132:8 "Arise, LORD, come to your resting place, you and your majestic ark. 132:9 Your priests will be clothed with justice; your faithful will shout for joy."
It is not hard to see this as a prophecy of Christ's ascension into Heaven and His Mother's assumption. For evidence of this, we again go back to Revelation 12:1. The Woman Clothed with the Sun has the moon under her feet and a crown of 12 stars upon Her head. She has a body in heaven.

I have always found it perplexing that many have no trouble believing that the Bible supports the Assumption of Elijah, Enoch and even Moses into heaven...but not Mary. (Acts 2:27, 13:35).

Yet there are far more parallels between the Ark and Mary. Thanks to Agape Bible study for these.

God the Holy Spirit overshadowed and then indwelled the Ark. The Ark became the dwelling place of the presence of God [Exodus 40:34-35]. God the Holy Spirit overshadowed and the indwelled Mary. At that time Mary's womb became the dwelling place of the presence of God [Luke 1:35].

The Ark contained the 10 Commandments [the words of God in stone], a pot of manna, and Aaron's rod that came back to life [Deuteronomy 10:3-5; Hebrews 9:4].
The womb of the Virgin contained Jesus: the living Word of God enfleshed, the living bread from heaven, "the Branch" (Messianic title) who would die but come back to life [Luke 1:35].

The Ark traveled to the hill country of Judah to rest in the house of Obed-edom [2 Samuel 6:1-11]. Mary traveled to the hill country of Judah (Judea) to the home of Elizabeth [Luke 1:39].

Dressed in a priestly ephod, King David approached the Ark and danced and leapt for joy [2 Samuel 6:14]. John the Baptist, son of a priest who would himself become a priest, leapt for joy in Elizabeth's womb at the approach of Mary [Luke 1:43].


David shouted for joy in the presence of God and the holy Ark [2 Samuel 6:15]. Elizabeth exclaimed with a loud cry of joy in the presence God within Mary [Luke 1:42].

David asked, "How is it that the Ark of the Lord comes to me?" [2 Samuel 6:9]. Elizabeth asks, "Why is this granted unto me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" [Luke 1:43].

The Ark remained in the house of Obed-edom for 3 months [2 Samuel 6:11].
Mary remained in the house of her cousin Elizabeth for 3 months [Luke 1:56].

The house of Obed-edom was blessed by the presence of the Ark [2 Samuel 6:11].
The word "blessed" is used 3 times in Luke 1:39-45 concerning Mary at Elizabeth's house.

The Ark returned to its sanctuary and eventually ends up in Jerusalem where the presence and glory of God is revealed in the newly built Temple [2 Samuel 6:12; 1 Kings 8:9-11]. Mary returned home from visiting Elizabeth and eventually comes to Jerusalem, where she presents God the Son in the Temple [Luke 1:56; 2:21-22].

God made Aaron's rod (which would be kept in the Ark) return to life and budded to prove he was the legitimate High Priest [Numbers 17:8]. God would resurrect His Son, who had become enfleshed in Mary's womb and born to bring salvation to all mankind, to prove He is the eternal High Priest [Hebrews 4:14].

When the Ark was outside the Holy of Holies [when it was being transported] it was to be covered with a blue veil [Numbers 4:4-6]. In Mary's appearances outside of heaven visionaries testify that she wears a blue veil.

In Revelation 11:19 John sees the Ark of the Covenant in heaven [this is the last verse of chapter 11]. In Revelation 12:1 John sees Mary in heaven. It is the same vision Juan Diego saw of Mary in 1531'the Woman clothed with the sun and standing on the moon.

To deny Mary as the Ark of the Covenant is futile.

One final thought before we move on. Many protestants have challenged us with this nonsense that Mary had other children. I refute all their arguments with this article. Take time to read it when you can.

But I want to focus on what happened to Uzzah in the 1 Chronicles 13:9-10. Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the Ark and prevent it from falling on the ground. God struck him dead on the very spot.

The Ark that was made of wood was overshadowed and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and was so Holy that for a man to even touch it meant death. Are we to believe that the living Ark, not just overshadowed but impregnated by the Holy Spirit would be touched by Joseph? Would He have dared?! It is absurd to even suggest it.








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Thursday, August 26, 2010

The Types of Mary

UPDATE: We are concerned that this show may have too much material to cover in the 90 minutes scheduled. If that turns out to be the case, the show will continue into the archive portion so that those listening to the archive will actually hear a longer show.

This is the primer for a Blogtalkradio program scheduled for August 27th, 2010. It deals with a topic of immense difficulty for Protestants- Mary.

In fact, I would dare say that for most protestants, it is the most difficult issue. Many Catholics are perplexed by protestant confusion toward what we believe about Mary and even by an outright hostility by some.

Many protestants believe that the things Catholics believe about Mary are un-Biblical. Of course, they are not but it can be difficult for Catholics to convey this because there is such a huge communication gap between how Catholics and Protestants with regards to how the Bible is to be used and understood. Since Catholics and Protestants often view the Scriptures from such a radically different vantage point, we often get radically different perceptions about what it teaches.Nowhere, is this more profound than what the Bible teaches about Mary.

So, for starters, I want to dispel a few common myths about the Bible and how they relate particularly to the Mother of Our Lord.

  1. The Old Testament doesn't matter any more. Nothing could be further from the truth. Saint Augustine said that the Old Testament is the New Testament concealed and the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed.

  2. Truer, more profound words have scarcely been spoken. To fail to understand the Old Testament is to make it impossible to understand the New Testament and this is probably truer about Mary than anywhere else. On our show, we are going to go very deeply into what is known as Old Testament typology. More on that in a bit.

  3. Catholics make a big deal about Mary but the Bible says very little about Her. False. Most protestants are very surprised to learn just how much the Bible says about Mary.
  4. Most Catholic doctrines about Mary are not in the Bible. Again, false. The Bible is a treasure trove of marian doctrines, you have to be willing to work, sometimes.
  5. The Bible is the only authority. Appeals to other authorities are false. Rubbish. The Bible cannot even be understood without an appeal to the Church that gave it to us. (Acts 8:30-31) In fact, the Bible, itself tells us that scripture is very difficult to understand (2 Peter 3:16) and not to be interpreted personally (2 Peter 1:20). Further, it tells us that the Church is the final authority (Matthew 16:18-20, 18:17-18, Luke 10:16, 1 Tim. 3:15) and that we are to listen to all the instruction of the church written and oral (2 Thess. 2:15).

We are going to try and show you how the Church actually draws very intensely on the scriptures to understand Mary and, through Her, to draw a deeper understanding of God.

To do this, we are going to lean heavily on Old Testament typology, as we suggested before. Old Testament typology simply means that we are introduced to certain persons, places and things, in the Old Testament, that serve as symbolic types (models) of something that is to be later revealed in the New Testament church.

A perfect example is how the people of Israel were saved from death by the blood of the Lamb (Exodus 12). This is an obvious type of the Crucifixion of Jesus, the Lamb of God.

Among the types of Mary to be examined in this show will be as follows.
  1. The Woman.
  2. The New Eve.
  3. The Queen Mother.
  4. Daughter Zion.
  5. The Ark of the Covenant.
  6. The Virgin who brings forth Immanuel.


Don't miss it!


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A Question posed to me on You Tube

A person (who I will not identify) posed the following question in a private message to my You Tube channel. He starts by quoting me.

Deepertruthblog

Stay strong. Not all protestants are demons like Joe. There are many people we can reach with God's Word.

Deepertruthblog


I can honestly say that, in my 40+ years on this planet, I have probably met less than 20 protestants with more than a superficial ''faith'' in Christ. Very few that truly internalize Christ in a meaningful way....none of them on youtube....not one

How in the world are you going to reach people with GODs' word with statements like this ?



I will answer your question this way- judge the results. The number of subscribers we have has increased ten fold, as have the number of hits on this blog and subscribers to our twitter account. The number of people that are responding positively to our message is off the chart and Defender has more conversions to the faith than he knows what to do with.

Why? because we have abandoned the ''roll over and play dead'' approach that has failed our church for so many years in favor of a ''tell it like it is'' approach that always seeks kindness first, but exposes the anti-catholic hate mongers for what they are before they can deceive any more innocent people into their cult of self worship.

The two statements above are absolutely, irrefutably true. Why should I apologize for saying them. Most protestants are well intentioned people who are not are just deceived. Most of them are not classified by the demonic hate you see in a person like Joe, who wouldn't know Jesus if He appeared to him in a vision.

However, it is also true that very few Protestants that I have know- less than 5% certainly- ever go deeper than John 3:16 and never have more than a superficial "relationship" with Jesus. I mean no disrespect in saying that, it is just the truth.

This Friday's show will be a prime example. We will explore Scriptures that most protestants have never even heard, much less studied.

Our goal is to help protestants have a deeper understanding of scripture. Of course, when that happens, they usually become Catholics. Of course, in so doing, we also have to expose the hatemongers and the charlatans who wish to fill their heads with lies and junk theology.

If some get offended, so be it. Thanks for the question!


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Friday, August 20, 2010

Fighting Irish season preview

Ok, so it is no exactly Catholic apologetics but I couldn't resist and a little diversion might be nice.

Like so many weary and downtrodden Notre Dame fans, hope springs eternal.

Hope is something Notre Dame fans need. The last time Notre Dame won a National Championship, Ronald Reagan was still the President of the United States. The Irish last held the #1 spot in the polls on November 20th, 1993 before losing at home to #16 Boston College and the Irish have beaten USC only once since the start of the millennium.

Yet, there continues to be reason for optimism.

First, last year's Notre Dame team was not really as bad as the 6-6 record indicates. The Irish lost all 6 of those games in the final 2 minutes of regulation, or in overtime- a staggering statistic if you think about it.

Let's put it another way. Notre Dame was a mere 11 points from being a 9-3 team, and only 34 points from going 12-0.

Further, Notre Dame scored at least 20 points in all of their games and at least 30 in 7 of them. In fact, Quarterback Jimmy Clausen put up Heisman worthy numbers and receiver Golden Tate won awards as the best receiver in the country.

Nevertheless, the team did finish 6-6 and Charlie Weis lost his job. Why?

Here are the biggest reasons.

  1. Woeful production from the defensive line. No where was this more telling than in the last game of the season. Quarterback Jimmy Clausen completed almost 77% of his passes for 340 yards and 5 touchdowns but the Irish defense simply could not stop Toby Gerhart and the Stanford running game. Gerhart pummeled the Irish for 205 yards. The wilting of the Irish defense was a major factor in all 6 of Notre Dame's losses. The Irish defensive front simply could not stop the opponent's running game or get any pressure on the quarterback. To compensate for this, the Irish under Weis tried blitzing and cheating up the safeties and linebackers- to disastrous result.
  2. The November swoon. The Irish were 13-12 over their last 2 seasons. However, in games not played in November, they were 12-3. In November games in Charlie Weis' last 2 seasons, the Irish were a horrific 1-9 including losses to Connecticut, Syracuse and Navy. Whether this was the result of poor conditioning, or a frustrated team giving up remains to be seen.
  3. An inability to establish the run. The Notre Dame running game under Charlie Weis was statistically the worst in the history of the school. In 2007, it was the worst in the nation. If Notre Dame had an even serviceable running game, they may very well have won all of their games last year, despite their defensive woes. With no ability to run, the Irish could not control the clock or keep the other team's defense off the field. The Irish inability to run was inexplicable with plenty of 4 and 5 star talent along the line and in the backfield.


Here is why there is reason to hope;

Defense.

Notre Dame's defensive woes spring chiefly from their inability to draft and develop the marquee defensive linemen, particularly the guards. In the last couple of years they have begun to recruit and develop that kind of player. Kapron Lewis-Moore, Darius Fleming, Tyler Stockton, Ethan Johnson and even freshman Louis Nix should help the Irish defense improve dramatically in this area. Look for a lot less gambling from the Irish defense. This will allow the extremely talented Notre Dame linebackers and Defensive backs to cut down substantially on the big plays that just killed the Irish during the Weis era.

Conditioning.

By all reports, the conditioning under Brian Kelly is far more fast paced and physical than under Weis. This should markedly improve the Irish's propensity to wilt, both in the 4th quarter of games and seasons.

The Spread offense.

Switching to the spread offense will widen the field and get some of Notre Dame's faster players to the perimeter and into open space more often. Putting speedster Theo Riddick in the slot is a brilliant move. With all-world tight end Kyle Rudolph and all-world wide receiver Michael Floyd each drawing double coverage, players like Riddick, Duval Kamara, John Goodman and Shaq Evans will get ever opportunity to really step up as play makers.

True, the loss of receiver Golden Tate will be hard to compensate for but I believe the Irish offense will actually get an upgrade in production from the Quarterback position because Dayne Crist is a far more dangerous runner than Clausen ever was.

However, I think the one difference maker that Weis was never able to use right was Robert Hughes. The guy is a beast. A great combination of speed and power. He reminds me of Jerome Bettis.

Notre Dame is not a team that is short on talent, by any means. They have not played up to their talent level in 3 of the last 4 seasons. That is where Kelly will make the most immediate impact. He has a proven record of developing talent. I believe that, under Kelly, Notre Dame will continue to recruit great talent but will be much better at developing it and integrating it.

There is no logical reason to believe that Notre Dame cannot win 10 games this year.

Let's look at the schedule-

Dividing the schedule into quarters is instructive.

The first three games have included Michigan and Michigan State in every year under Charlie Weis and, in every year, he lost to at least one of those two teams. So, opening with a win over Purdue would be helpful, but not enough. To truly exorcise the demons, Brian Kelly must sweep these 3 games and give the Irish it's first 3-0 start in 8 years. That will require an Irish team that is far more physical than what we have seen in quite some time.

If the Irish do not defeat all 3 of these teams, they will not be ranked and they will not be confident of climbing out of their recent mediocrity. However, if the team is 3-0, it is impossible to imagine them not ranked in the 21-25 range of both wire service polls.

However, where they go from there- out or up- would be determined by the next 3 games of the season. The truth is that I believe it is entirely plausible that the Irish could win their first 3 games, then lose their next 3. If that were to happen, it would be very difficult for Kelly to not lose this team.

The most likely scenario for me is that Kelly will lose 2 of these 3 games (Pittsburgh and Boston College the most likely) and emerge with a 4-2 record. Charlie Weis started with better than a 4-2 record only once, when he started 5-1 in 2006.

Beating Stanford, in the 4th game, would have to be considered the threshold the Irish would need to clear to open up at least the possibility of a really special season. Even if Stanford is 3-0, voters are likely to be very unimpressed with wins over Sacramento State, UCLA and Wake Forest. Skeptical voters would punish the Irish severely for a loss to the Cardinal.

On the other hand, if the Fighting Irish emerge undefeated, they have at least the potential to help them selves a lot with the voters.

Boston College looks to be 2-0 going into their break after opening with 2 cupcakes. If the Eagles can manage to beat Virginia Tech, they will certainly command the nation's respect. This would be exponentially more true if the Hokies can manage to beat powerhouse Boise State in their prime time Labor day matchup.

Of course, I don't think Boston College really can beat Virginia Tech nor do I believe that Virginia Tech really can beat Boise State but you never know.

It also remains to be seen if the Fighting Irish can beat Boston College. If the Irish lose 3 games this year, the Boston College game will most likely be one of them. The problem is that Pittsburgh, who the Irish face in game 6, is likely to be another.

Pittsburgh is likely to be the toughest opponent the Irish face all year. If I knew the Irish would be 11-1, I would expect the Panthers to be the administrators of that one defeat.

If Notre Dame is 4-1 coming into this game, it will be Brian Kelly's first chance at a marquee win. If Notre Dame is undefeated, it will be the biggest Notre Dame game of the season. However, if Pittsburgh is also undefeated, it will be the biggest Notre Dame game since their epic 2005 game vs #1 ranked USC.

To get to 4-0, the Panthers would need wins against 2 preseason top 25 teams- Miami of Florida and Utah. If the Panthers manage that, they will certainly be a top 10- if not a top 5- team.

Nevertheless, it doesn't matter all that much. If Notre Dame is 6-0 after those 6 games, they will be well on their way to a very special season. My optimistic hope is that they will be 5-1, while my realistic opinion is 4-2.

In any of those scenarios, a good season is well within reach. Western Michigan, Navy and Tulsa represent the easiest stretch of the schedule by far. This is where a 4-2 team becomes a 7-2 team, a 5-1 team stretches to 8-1 and a 6-0 team (dare we say it) gets off to the first 9-0 start of any Notre Dame team in 17 years.

That brings us to Utah in game 10. 2 years ago, this team went undefeated and routed Alabama in it's bowl game. That's right, Alabama who would win the next season's title. By all fairness, Utah should have been National champs in 2008. Last year, they fell back to earth a little at 10-3.

In the extremely unlikely event that both Notre Dame and Utah are both undefeated at this point, it could be the game of the year..... but I find that highly unlikely. I also don't think Notre Dame will lose this game, or the next one vs Army.

That brings us to game 12 and USC.

My feeling is that Notre Dame will enter this game 9-2. If that is the case, a win verses the Trojans puts the Irish in a BCS bowl and wins Kelly coach of the year. If they are 8-3 or 7-4, a win gives them a lessor bowl. 6-5 means a USC win is needed to save Kelly's job.

In the unlikely event that Notre Dame is 11-0, or even 10-1 coming into this game, a victory over the Trojans could put them in the title game.

S0, for kicks and giggles, let me try and predict the season.

Sept 4. Notre Dame 40 Purdue 28 (1-0)
Sept 11. Notre Dame 31 Michigan 24 (2-0)
Sept 18. Notre Dame 38 Mich. State 20 (3-0)
Sept 25. Notre Dame 38 Stanford 17 (4-0)
Oct 2. Boston College 28 Notre Dame 17 (4-1)
Oct. 9. Pittsburgh 24 Notre Dame 17 (4-2)
Oct 16. Notre Dame 54 Western Mich. 10 (5-2)
Oct 23. Notre Dame 33 Navy 17 (6-2)
Oct 30 Notre Dame 49 Tulsa 7 (7-2)
Nov 13 Notre Dame 41 Utah 30 (8-2)
Nov 20 Notre Dame 42 Army 0 (9-2)
Nov 27 Notre Dame 31 USC 20 (10-2)

Orange Bowl : Notre Dame 44 Ohio State 21 (11-2 Final ranking #10)











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Tuesday, August 17, 2010

*BEST OF DTB #16* The Catholic Defender: Faith and good works


I used to listened to a local Christian radio station near Ft. Campbell KY from time to time to check out what they would teach. On one occasion, the topic of faith and good works was the focus. I called up the radio station to see if I could enter the conversation. Unfortunately, it was only a tape recording and so there was no discussion that was live. Since it was a tape played in the studio, the only person available was the clerk answering the phone. To me that was enough!


I began my challenge with Matthew 25:31-46. If faith would get you to heaven and you do not need "good works", why would Jesus warn us if we do not perform the Corporal Works of Mercy, you would not enter the Kingdom of Heaven? Jesus spoke that we must feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, cloth the naked, shelter the homeless, comfort the imprisoned, and visit the sick!


Jesus clearly states, "out of my sight, you condemned, into that everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels... As often as you neglected to do it to one of these least ones, you neglected to do it to me. These will go off to eternal punishment and the just to eternal life".


As important as faith is, Jesus doesn't speak to that issue, He is speaking of works that He fully expects His people to conduct. The Lord hears the cry of the poor, we become His hands when we seek to do His will! The lady at the studio was a bit taken back! She was not expecting a rebuttal like this, especially from a Catholic! To me, this was the opening argument! If someone claims to believe in God, but does nothing to help their fellow man, I simply was taking the Lord's word on the issue.


This debate goes back to the original Protestant, Martin Luther! He taught "Faith Alone" and "Sola Scriptura", which attacked the very core and foundation of the Church. This attack would shake the Church to her foundations! The sacraments could not be "life saving" or "necessary" because they would be the products of "works"!


Luther's issue was far more than the selling of indulgences or disputes about the souls of Purgatory! This would undo 2,000 years of Christian teaching. Baptism, for example, is seen more as a public act, not a matter of necessity.


I encourage the reading of James chapter two. This speaks loudly about "faith alone" which it clearly says there is no faith alone! Philippians 2:16 states, "As I look to the day of Christ, you give me cause to boast that I did not run the race in vain or work to no purpose. Even if my life is to be poured out as a libation, over the sacrificial service of your faith. I am glad of it and rejoice with you".


St. Paul also says (Philippians 2:12), "So then, my dearly beloved, obedient as always to my urgings, work with anxious concern to achieve your salvation..." If you are studying for a test and the teacher during review stomps his foot or pounds his hands on the desk to insure you get the point, what should you do? You should take note of the essential information! Well, what does God tell us about Judgement? Our finals, the test we should all want to pass!


Jesus states, "But he who ACTS in the truth comes into the light, to make clear that his DEEDS are done in God (John 3:21)". Romans 2:5 states, "In spite of this, your hard and impenitent heart is storing up retribution for that day of wrath when the just judgement of God will be revealed, when He will repay every man for what he has DONE..."


1 Peter 1:17 says, "In prayer you call upon the Father who judges each one justly on the basis of his ACTIONS. Since this is so, conduct yourselves, reverently during this sojourn in a strange land". Hebrews 13:21 states, "Furnish you with all that is good, THAT YOU MAY DO HIS WILL. Though Jesus Christ may carry out in you all that is pleasing to Him. To Christ be the glory forever! Amen."


Revelation 22:12 states, "Remember, I am coming soon! I bring with me the reward that will be given to each man as his CONDUCT DESERVES." John 3:36 says, "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever DISOBEYS the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him (Romans 5:9)".


Scripture after scripture tells us we will be held accoutable to our deeds. We must do the will of the Father! If you KEEP His Commandments, you SHOW you love Him! The Catholic Church recognize that we must be obedient in faith. The skull has what we call "infused joints" that keeps our brain protected and intact. We need each part for it to function properly. Likewise, faith and good works are infused, both are essential.


Jesus tells us to "store up heavenly treasure that no one can steal". Our faith must produce fruit! Don't take your faith and bury it in the backyard (Matthew 25:24-28). As I talked with the lady who answered the phone, I realized that the issue will not be won or lost based on this discussion. If I did nothing else, I hope that Jesus would chalk this up to one of the spiritual works of mercy, to instruct the uninformed, to be patient with those in error.


I think the Catholic Church has made some in-roads through the Protestant world! I have heard many of them tell me that "people of faith" will have good works as a result of the fruits of the spirit! That makes the argument more obsolete! Oh, Can you imagine that? Martin Luther would be rolling over in his grave if he heard that!


Faith is a gift! Good works are the product of our response to that gift. Salvation is not earned so that we can punch our own ticket, but good works that pleases God and are God ordained makes that ticket complete. The harvest is plenty but the workers are few!

Monday, August 16, 2010

Do you know the Holy days of obligation in the Catholic church?

There are 58 of them per year.

Starting with every Saturday evening or Sunday, for 52.

Add to those, the solemnity of the Mother of God (Jan 1), Ascension Thursday, the Assumption (Aug 15), All Saints day (Nov 1), the feast of the Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8) and Christmas day, December 25th.
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Sunday, August 15, 2010

World War II miracle

I found this amazing story on www.catholicherald.co.uk. That's the kind of story that gives me goose bumps. I believe this could not have happened without the divine help and we can get this help through the intercession and prayers of people on earth as well as of people who are already in heaven with God. "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16).  I know angels and saints are righteous and much closer to God than we are. Moreover, they are not time-restricted as we people on earth are. "And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand." ( Revelation 8:4). So we do have an army of angels and saints who can pray for us right before God, we just need to ask them to. I am hoping this story will reach the heart of very dear friend of mine who is protestant.




"The priests who survived the atomic bomb

The remarkable survival of the Jesuit Fathers in Hiroshima has echoes in the Bible and in the story of Fatima



This Friday, August 6, will see the Feast of the Transfiguration celebrated in the Church. It commemorates the occasion when Christ, accompanied by Peter, James, and John, went up a high mountain – traditionally identified with Mount Tabor in Galilee – and was there "transfigured" before them, so that "his face shone like the sun, and his garments became as white as light" (Mt 17:2).

The Greek word for transfiguration is metemorphothe, from which we get the word "metamorphosis". So the Transfiguration was a complete and stunning change in the appearance of Jesus, as his divinity shone through his humanity, in a way which completely overwhelmed the awestricken disciples. Its purpose was to prepare them for the reality of the crucifixion, so that having once seen – in some sense – his divinity, they would be strengthened in their faith.

August 6 is also an important date in world history: the fateful day on which the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima in Japan. On that day, a Monday, at 8.15 in the morning, an American B-29 bomber, Enola Gay, dropped its bomb "Little Boy", which fell to a predetermined detonation height of about 1,900 feet above the city. It exploded with a blinding flash, creating a giant fireball, which vaporised practically everything and everyone within a radius of about a mile of the point of impact. It is estimated that up to 80,000 people were directly killed by the blast, and by the end of the year, that figure had climbed considerably higher, due to injuries and the effects of radiation. Over two thirds of the city's buildings were completely destroyed.

But in the midst of this terrible carnage, something quite remarkable happened: there was a small community of Jesuit Fathers living in a presbytery near the parish church, which was situated less than a mile away from detonation point, well within the radius of total devastation. And all eight members of this community escaped virtually unscathed from the effects of the bomb. Their presbytery remained standing, while the buildings all around, virtually as far as the eye could see, were flattened.

Fr Hubert Schiffer, a German Jesuit, was one of these survivors, aged 30 at the time of the explosion, and who lived to the age of 63 in good health. In later years he travelled to speak of his experience, and this is his testimony as recorded in 1976, when all eight of the Jesuits were still alive. On August 6 1945, after saying Mass, he had just sat down to breakfast when there was a bright flash of light.

Since Hiroshima had military facilities, he assumed there must have been some sort of explosion at the harbour, but almost immediately he recounted: "A terrific explosion filled the air with one bursting thunderstroke. An invisible force lifted me from the chair, hurled me through the air, shook me, battered me [and] whirled me round and round…" He raised himself from the ground and looked around, but could see nothing in any direction. Everything had been devastated.

He had a few quite minor injuries, but nothing serious, and indeed later examinations at the hands of American army doctors and scientists showed that neither he nor his companions had suffered ill-effects from radiation damage or the bomb. Along with his fellow Jesuits, Fr Schiffer believed "that we survived because we were living the message of Fatima. We lived and prayed the rosary daily in that home."

There is actually a biblical precedent for what happened to the eight Jesuits, in the book of Daniel. In Chapter 3, we read of the three young men who were thrown into the fiery furnace at the orders of Nebuchadnezzar, but who survived their ordeal and even walked around in the midst of the flames, accompanied by an angel who looked like "a son of the gods".

After this first bombing, the Japanese government refused to surrender unconditionally, and so a second atomic bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki three days later on August 9. Nagasaki had actually been the secondary target, but cloud cover over the primary target, Kokura, saved it from obliteration on the day. The supreme irony is that Nagasaki was the city where two-thirds of the Catholics in Japan were concentrated, and so after centuries of persecution they suffered this terrible blow right at the end of the war.

But in a strange parallel to what happened at Hiroshima, the Franciscan Friary established by St Maximilian Kolbe in Nagasaki before the war was likewise unaffected by the bomb which fell there. St Maximilian, who was well-known for his devotion to the Blessed Virgin, had decided to go against the advice he had been given to build his friary in a certain location. When the bomb was dropped, the friary was protected from the force of the bomb by an intervening mountain. So both at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we can see Mary's protective hand at work.

The apparitions at Fatima in Portugal took place in 1917, when from May to October three young children, Francisco and Jacinta Marto, and their cousin, Lucia dos Santos, saw the Blessed Virgin six times, culminating in the "miracle of the sun" on October 13, when 70,000 people saw the sun spin in the sky and change colour successively, before falling to the earth in a terrifying manner. Many of those present thought it was the end of the world, but the sun reassumed its place in the sky to great cries of relief.

The essence of the Fatima message concerns conversion from sin and a return to God, and involves reparation for one's own sins and the sins of others, as well as the offering up of one's daily sufferings and trials. There was also a focus on prayer and the Eucharist at Fatima, and particularly the rosary, as well as the Five First Saturdays devotion, which involves Confession, Holy Communion, the rosary and meditation, for five consecutive months with the intention of making reparation to Our Lady (for more details visit Theotokos.org.uk).

It's interesting to reflect, then, on the theme of "transfiguration" which links these various events. Christ's face shone like the sun on Mount Tabor, and at Fatima, Our Lady worked the great miracle of the sun to convince the huge crowd which had gathered there that the message she was giving to mankind was authentic. Consider, too, that the poor people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki suffered as man-made "suns" exploded in their midst causing horrific devastation. But at Hiroshima the eight Jesuits, who were living the message of Fatima, and particularly the daily rosary, were somehow "transfigured," protected by God's divine power, from the terrible effects of the bomb.

Surely there is a message here for all of us, that living the message of Fatima, in a world which grows ever more dangerous, and which is still threatened by nuclear war, is as profound a necessity for us as it was for Fr Schiffer and his companions."--by Donald Anthony Foley



Submitted by zambilita







Friday, August 13, 2010

It is just amazing.

The technology that I hold in my hand far exceeds what I ever imagined when I was growing up.

If we Catholics can harness this technology in the way that this website is trying to do, we can change the world.

How many untold millions can be saved?
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Tuesday, August 10, 2010

*BEST OF DTB #14* Four tough questions for protestants

In a Youtube debate, I have posed 4 tough questions, for protestants that they refuse to attempt to answer. This is because all 4 questions strike at the very heart of what protestants view as God's plan of salvation.

I am going to answer the questions one at a time there and record the discourse here as well as any lucid questions/ comments that may appear.

The four questions are;
1) When Paul preached to the Romans, did he do so with God's authority?

2) What did Paul mean when he said that he had to fill up what was lacking in the sufferings of Christ? (Col 1:24)

3) Why was it necessary for Jesus to suffer?

4) Why did Jesus say that the cost of discipleship is that you must carry your cross?


The first question, academically, is by-far the easiest, yet none of the 4 protestants in the room were willing to answer it (and still aren't). The answer, obviously, is yes. Paul clearly spoke on God's behalf. In other words, the WORD of God was transmitted through the PERSON of Paul and not just Paul's letters. Paul PREACHED just as infallibly as when he wrote.

This proves two Catholic precepts
1) That "God's Word" is not confined to Scripture ALONE, thus refuting Sola Scriptura.
2) God CAN transmit His infallible law through fallible human beings.

Any protestant not willing to concede these two points is simply dishonest.

Further, Paul passed on his divinely established office to Timothy by the laying on of hands.

2TM 1:6 For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands.

The Bible is very clear that this anointing is passed on by direct succession. There is no precept for someone receiving the authority by their own efforts.


I have just proven the Catholic doctrines of Scriptural authority, infallibility and Apostolic succession. All of this, with ONE question.

Question #2 overturns one of the most dishonest arguments protestants use, in the same way that Jesus overturned the tables of the money changers. The argument of "sufficiency". Protestants will claim that for a Catholic to suggest that a person must participate in his own salvation suggests that something is "lacking" in the sufferings of Christ. They will contend that such an assertion is Blasphemy.

It is pretty hard to square that assertion of blasphemy with scripture.

Collosians 1:24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church,

I have never once met a protestant who could provide an answer for this passage. So I will.......

To look at this passage of scripture, as a protestant, is to be shocked. After all, what could POSSIBLY be LACKING in the sufferings of Christ? Were I to say this, you would accuse me of blasphemy..... but this is the Apostle Paul speaking here.

This passage lays bare the dishonesty of the "sufficiency" argument because there are, in fact, TWO types of sufficiency, not ONE, as the "reformers" dishonestly proposed.

The first is "Material" Sufficiency. That is, is there sufficient material to accomplish the job? In this case, the question would be, did Christ's ''finished'' work secure the graces needed for the salvation of every man, woman and child on earth? The answer, of course, is yes.

The question is not in material sufficiency. The question is in "practical" sufficiency. Practical, as in ''practice''.
Does a Doctor have the material knowledge to do his craft? of course! but that doesn't mean he doesn't have to exercise his medical "practice" correctly. To do so is "malpractice"

When Christ foretold His suffering and death, He instituted a "Covenant" in His blood. (Matthew 26:28). A covenant is a binding agreement. It binds BOTH sides to the terms of the covenant.

What is LACKING in the sufferings of Christ? YOUR side of the Covenant.

Even if you were to argue that all you must do is "confess with your mouth, and believe in your heart", you would STILL be refuting practical sufficiency because you are acknowledging that YOU have to do something. How ever, in Col 1:24, Paul expressly proposes SUFFERING as his part.

Thus, I have proven that suffering is a necessary part of salvation and proven Opes Dei as built on a Biblical precept.

Question #3 is another one that most protestants (and even many Catholics) have never even seriously thought about.

When asked why did Jesus suffer, most protestants will quote Isaiah 53
53:5 But he was pierced for our offenses,
crushed for our sins,
Upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole,
by his stripes we were healed

and they are right....partially.

What they do not speak to is HOW. HOW did Jesus sufferings heal us?

Protestants claim that Jesus suffering was WHOLLY SUBSTITUTIONAL. That is, Jesus suffered so that we don't have to.

How is that working out for you?

If Jesus suffered and died to take the place of your suffering and death, that would logically dictate that you don't have to suffer and die, wouldn't it?

Because Jesus was baptized, does that mean you don't have to be baptized?

In the same way, to suggest that Jesus carrying His cross, gets you out of carrying yours puts the scriptures to a lie.


Matthew 10:38 and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.
The answer to question #3 is this. Jesus suffered to make the act of suffering salvific. He suffered so that you don't suffer in vain. Through His stripes you were healed means that through uniting your suffering to His, you can be saved.

Question #4 deals with exactly what Jesus meant by carrying our crosses. Did he mean withstanding the blistering and hate filled attacks of some protestants and others? Yes. He warned about such hate, even telling us that they would call His Holy church an instrument of the Devil.

Matthew 10:25 It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, for the slave that he become like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, * how much more those of his household!

but it is so much more than that. It is exactly what Paul speaks about in Collosians 1:24.

It is how we fill up what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ.
..for the sake of His body, the Church

What Paul is talking about here is the communion of Saints. This flies in the face of the protestant notion of everyone having his own personal Jesus.

Salvation is a communal experience. When God asked Cain "Where is your brother?", Cain responded "Am I my brother's keeper?".
The answer was yes but Cain figured that out too late and, sadly, became the first human resident of hell.

As my dear brother, Defender said.... there is no such thing as a victimless sin because Christ was the victim of all sin. And we, His body suffer with Him and He with us. We are united through His body. Where was He on Sept 11th? He was in the midst of it, through His suffering on the Cross.

Jesus was very clear. Those who choose Him will suffer. They will feel the abandonment He felt on the cross when He cried out "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?"

They will feel protestants and others spit on them, mock them and curse them and commit all manner of false witness against them, just as they did to Him.

Matthew 5:11 Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you (falsely) because of me.

Lastly, they will suffer the catastrophies the world will bring upon them (man made and natural) and unless they are grounded in the Catholic rock, these storms may destroy them. (Matthew 7:24-27)

Anyone who has not suffered has not known Christ because Christ cannot calm the waves if there are no waves to calm. It is those that wish to avoid suffering that will find it.

Luke 16:19 * "There was a rich man* who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day.
16:20 And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
16:21 who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man's table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.
16:22 When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried,
16:23 and from the netherworld, * where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.
16:24 And he cried out, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.'
16:25 Abraham replied, 'My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented.

"Faith alone" stands refuted




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Sunday, August 8, 2010

Christopher Hitchens: I’m sorry that I probably won’t live to see the death of ‘elderly criminal’ Benedict XVI

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False Doctrine of Sola Scriptura by Michael Gormley

Editor's note: Michael Gormley left this comment on a post about Baptism. The Comment was on the subject of Sola Scriptura. The argument stands on it's own so I am posting it as it's own piece.

The false doctrine of Sola Scriptura, first proclaimed by Martin Luther, created the 'everyone for himself' syndrome for Bible interpretation.

Each individual would claim, 'the Holy Spirit told me'.

This thinking flies into the face of what the Bible actually teaches, that individual interpretation of Scripture cannot be done. See Acts 8:27-39, and 2Peter 1:20, and 2Peter 3:16-18.

Belief in Sola Scriptura is the primary reason for the fact that there are over 28,000 splinters in Protestantism.

There can be only one truth, and yet each splinter claims, 'the Holy Spirit told me'.

Each claims the truth, yet each has differences with the others.

Truth is one; therefore all Churches should be united in the one truth.

Are we led to believe there over 28,000 Holy Spirits, each telling a protestant sect something different, or maybe one Holy Spirit giving a different truth to each?

The doctrine of Sola Scripture is clearly a false doctrine invented by mere men, and has no Scriptural basis whatsoever.

Anyone who believes in the false doctrine of Sola Scriptura, and rejects tradition, is taking away from the Word of GOD.

They are therefore in violation of all of the Bible verses which admonish, "Do not add to, or take away from, the Word of GOD." Deuteronomy 4:2, 11:32, 13:1, Psalms 12:7, 33:4, Psalms 50:16-17, Proverbs 5:7, 30:5-6, Jeremiah 23:36, Galatians 1:8, 1Peter 1:24-25, 2Peter 3:15-16, Revelation 22:18-20.

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Friday, August 6, 2010

ALWAYS CATHOLIC...tonight on BTR

Tonight on Deeper Truth's Blog talk radio program, we are thrilled to have Sofia from Always Catholic. Here is how you can get the most from this program;
  1. Register for an account with Blogtalkradio. It is easy and fast and free and your personal information is completely protected!
  2. Tell all your friends about this upcoming show!
  3. Go to the show page! The chat room will open at 5:00 Eastern, USA time. You must be a registered Blogtalkradio user if you wish to participate in the chat room. The show will start on your computer at 5:30 PM.
  4. Call in and participate! The toll-free number to call in is 1-877-662-3716

On tonight's show, we will talk about the state of the American catholic church, catholic evangelization, apologetics and networking and whatever you want to discuss!

Don't miss it!


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*BEST OF DTB #13* The Narrow gate


Matthew 7:13 "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. 7:14 How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.

Luke 13:24 "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.


So often I hear these passages from anti-catholics, purported as "proof" that the Catholic church cannot be the true way. After all, they say, "there are a billion Catholics in the world! Jesus said that the gate is narrow and few will find it!"

Few indeed.

Never once have I claimed that simply being Catholic is enough to merit Salvation. That was the mistake the pharisees made.

Matthew 3:9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

Roman Catholicism is a necessary but insufficient means of salvation. No person who, in the free and fully informed consent of his will, rejects the Catholic church can be saved. There is no salvation outside the catholic church except for those who, by the light of God within them, seek to know and accomplish God's will with all their mind, body, heart, soul and strength and, despite their best efforts, fall short of full communion with the Catholic church.

Anyone who sees the truth and rejects it, or strongly suspects the truth, but suppresses the divinely inspired urge to seek it out, is culpable for that knowledge.

Yet many will see the truth, accept it, and still be condemned because they don't live it. For the seed alone, is not enough.

Matthew 13:3 And he spoke to them at length in parables, * saying: "A sower went out to sow.* 13:4 And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. 13:5 Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, 13:6 and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. 13:7 Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. 13:8 But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. 13:9 Whoever has ears ought to hear."

The narrow gate and the constricted road speak to the difficulty of the journey of salvation. That is why few will find it. The greek word describing the narrow road is tethlimmenē, a word that suggests pressing or affliction.

τεθλιμμενη verb - perfect passive participle - nominative singular feminine
thlibo thlee'-bo: to crowd -- afflict, narrow, throng, suffer tribulation, trouble.

This is, of course, difficult for many who view salvation as easy and not requiring work or effort on our part. However, that view has never squared with Scripture. Misinterpreted passages like Romans 10:9 tell us who will be saved- those who truly believe in (pisteusēs- to entrust) Christ. Ephesians 2:8-10 tells us by what source Christ saves us. (χάριτι-Grace) but the way of salvation....the road....the narrow gate... has been and always will be following Jesus on the way of the cross.

Matthew 10:38 and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.

Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.


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Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Great show coming up on Friday!

Please join me on Friday as we welcome Sofia from Always Catholic on our program to talk about the current state of the American Catholic church, Apologetics and how our two sites are going to be collaborating going forward. You don't want to miss it!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/deeper-truth/2010/08/06/deeper-truth-blog


The show will kick off at 5:30 PM Eastern time.





http://www.deepertruthblog.com
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/deeper-truth
deepertruth@comcast.net