Saturday, October 9, 2010

*BEST OF DTB #30* The Catholic Defender takes a look at signs and wonders


As I was working on the "Last Daze" series focusing on the last times, I was looking at something St. Paul had said.
2 Thess 2:9 states, "...the one whose coming springs from the power of Satan in every mighty deed and in signs and wonders that lie...."
I couldn't help but think about the great fear people have of the Catholic Faith. They fear the supernatural and because of this, they end up taking positions that are not biblical.
How many times have they attacked religion denying the importance of the practice of it? Speaking of the biblical importance of religion, St. Paul refers to a number of terrifying signs of the end times.
Irreligious is listed among those signs. According to the Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, a person who is irreligious is "Neglectful of religion: lacking religious emotions, doctrines, or practices, that they exploit popular religion for professional purposes".
I would say that some oppose religion because they cannot accept the truth of the Catholic Religion so they are vocal against religion yet they create their own personal religion calling it a 'relationship'.
St. Paul goes on to say, "they make a pretense of religion but deny it's power. Reject them" (2 Timothy 3:5).
St. Paul says that such people "oppose the truth , are people of depraved mind, unqualified in the faith".
That is an amazing thing he says. I think there is a connection of those who oppose religion with those who have problems with 'signs and wonders'.
If you do not believe in the Catholic Religion, your going to challenge it's "signs and wonders" because of 2 Thess 2:9.
Does this mean that "signs and wonders" are evil?
Is there a means to know what is true from false?
Jesus established the Church giving it the truth with the ability to test the spirit (1 John 4:1), the gates of hell would not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18), that he would remain with the Church (Matthew 28:20).
Concerning the last times, St Luke quotes the prophet Joel, "It will come to pass in the last days, God says, 'that I will pour out a portion of my spirit upon all flesh. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. Indeed, upon my handmaids I will pour out a portion of my spirit in those days, and they shall prophesy. And I will work wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below; blood, fire, and cloud of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and splendid day of the Lord, and it shall be that everyone shall be saved who calls on the name of the Lord" (Acts 2:17-21).
Because people hear of supernatural occurrences, they let their bias against 'religion' affect their understanding of the signs and wonders of the Lord.
Yes, there are supernatural signs that we should be concerned about such as those who claim witchcraft, those who dabble in the Occult, those who believe in reincarnation, false religion is everywhere.
I will tell people that I only believe in one religion, I may respect other people in their religion, but only one do I recognize because Christ is the founder of that one Religion.
The Catholic Church investigates all these miracles to ensure for the faithful that the event is not from the Devil or his minions. We can trust the Lord's promise.



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